Child's Play
by passionately happy
Summary: Or, how Natasha Romanoff and Steve Rogers fell in love. A collection of drabbles and one shots.
1. The Meeting

Child's Play

**Summary**: Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N**: This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters_**.

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

**_Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing_**.

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer**: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says._

_"It doesn't have to be," he replies._

* * *

**un.**

"Agent Romanoff- Captain Rogers."

_Oh. My. God._

"Ma'am," he nods, giving her a smile.

Natasha inwardly fangirls.

"Hi," she squeaks.

So this is the infamous Captain America? He was _fiiiiine_. Natasha looked him up and down for a moment and put her best smile on, hoping to wow him-

- but then she saw Coulson's mooning expression and thought otherwise.

(If she was going to try and make a move on Captain America, she has to get rid of Coulson first.)

"They need you on the bridge," she says to Coulson by means of driving him away. "They're starting the face trace."

Coulson gives a nod to Natasha and sends one last fanboy look at Steve. "See you there."

The pair watched as Coulson left and began to walk in the opposite direction.

" It was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice," she begins, casting a look to the Captain. Steve smiles, nodding. "Thought Coulson was gonna swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?"

_He's not the only one that's swooning_, Natasha thought.

Steve raises an eyebrow. "Trading cards?"

Natasha chuckles; befuddled Steve looked absolutely adorable. "They're vintage. He's very proud."

Steve shoots Natasha an amused smile and her heart soars. They peered into each other's eyes for a moment until Steve's attention was directed to a man behind them.

"Dr. Banner!"

Natasha inwardly groans and curses the Hulk, her fear of him turning into contempt.

Couldn't he let her have just one moment with Captain America?

* * *

A/N: Prompt by MysticFantasy: the meeting between Captain America and Black Widow; Dialogue courtesy of SiOmniaFicta and her "Marvel's The Avengers Script".


	2. Ballet

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles, with no specific timeline. & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

THIS WAS MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE CHAPTER TO WRITE.

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**deux.**

A classical song tinkers from the speakers as Natasha, clad in the traditional ballerina getup, dances slowly and sensually, executing each move with the type of grace that has only been practised for years.

She pirouettes en pointe, plies and tondues passionately, feeling the music flow through her body. As the song comes to a close, she breathes heavily and curtseys in the direction of her bedroom window, imagining the sound of clapping hands.

Wait- she wasn't imagining it! Natasha swerves to face a smiling Steve Rogers leaning against her doorframe, his bright blue eyes shining as he claps. The Russian stays frozen in place as the two stare at each other, the silence between them punctuated by Steve's applause. Once Steve pestered down to the last of his claps, he gives Natasha a proud smile. "That was beautiful, Natasha."

He says it so warmly that Natasha feels a blush crawl up her cheeks, but her instincts kick in and she gives the blond her best threatening glare; there would be no way she would let herself be compromised by someone who she'd known for a few months. Placing her hands on her hips, she growls. "What are you doing here?"

Being Captain America, Steve did not seem threatened to say the least. He instead blushed and placed his hands into his pockets, seeming more shy than threatened. "I heard music."

Natasha internally melts at the expression on the captain's face, but masks it with a raised eyebrow. "So you followed it and saw me dancing."

Steve pulls his hands out of his pockets and stares at Natasha head-on, baby blues boring into guarded emeralds. "I'm glad I did, actually."

Natasha gives in to vulnerability and blushes as Steve gives her one last proud smile and saunters out the door.

She wouldn't be ashamed to admit that she checked out his ass as he walked away.


	3. Technology

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles, with no specific timeline. & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**trois.**

"Natasha?"

"Hmm?" The spy in question glances up from her coffee to a very frustrated super soldier holding an iPhone in his hand.

"How do you work this thing?" he asks, poking at the phone screen vigorously.

Natasha's lips turn upwards for a second; she couldn't resist herself. Leave it to Steve to be so irritatingly cute in reference to modern day technology. The redhead gripped the coffee in her hand as she walked over to the couch, sitting down beside the super soldier. "What exactly don't you understand?"

"Everything," he answered, blushing. "I can't even get into the phone and it keeps ringing and there's this disturbing noise coming-"

"-_I like big butts and I cannot lie, you other brothers cannot deny!" _the phone chirped, making the blond groan and bury his face into his hands, the phone thrown haphazardly beside him on the couch. Natasha made a noise of amusement and disgust, placing her coffee cup on the table in front of her so she could grab the phone. Leaning over the blushing blond, she took the phone into her hands, checked the caller ID and sighed. _Of course. _

"Did Tony give you this phone?" Natasha asks, eyeing said gadget.

"Yes," Steve responds, muffled by his hands.

"That explains the lewd ringtone," Natasha sighs. Uncharacteristically, the redhead rubs the super soldier's back in an act of comfort. "It's okay, you can give Stark a run for his money later. Meanwhile, we should focus on trying to figure out this phone."

"Well, alright then," Steve sighs, taking his head out of his hands to glance at the phone in Natasha's hands. Natasha hands the phone over to Steve, and Steve slides the screen face down on the table in front of the pair, nearly knocking over the redhead's coffee. "See, I can't open it!"

Said redhead raised an eyebrow. "Why did you just slide the phone on the table?"

Steve picked up the phone and gestured to the scratched screen. "It says slide to unlock!"

Natasha let out an exasperated sigh; it seemed that they'd be working all night on this.

But if she'd see Steve's eyes sparkling in appreciation after the storm had passed, maybe it was worth sticking around for.


	4. Public Displays of Affection

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing. **_

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**quatre.**

It befuddled Steve to no end.

Considering that they were in the middle of a battle, for one thing and he wondered if the pair was actually aware of what was happening around them.

Sitting on some debris from a building Loki had destroyed moments before, two teenagers kissed hungrily, doing things that made Steve's virginal eyes burn. Steve stared silently, trying to figure out what events were transpiring at that very moment.

That is, until Natasha Romanoff intervened.

"Hey, Cap," the redhead landed right next to him, jumping from seemingly nowhere. The captain acknowledged her presence with a nod, his eyes never wavering off the couple on the debris.

Natasha followed his gaze and choked down a laugh at Steve's sickly expression. "I see that you're not to fond of the PDA."

Steve drew his gaze away from the two teenagers to raise an eyebrow at the spy. "PDA?"

"Public Displays of Affection," Natasha explains. "It's when couples do things that are physically intimate in front of people."

"Well, I can see that," Steve gestures to the couple, who were now going into the second base. He winced and averted his eyes to the spy beside him. "But don't you think it's a little inappropriate considering that we're in the middle of a battle? I mean, that girl is practically naked and that boy looks very intoxicated," he says, pointing to the pair who were clad in just their undergarments clothes thrown on the street.

Natasha bit her lip and tried to conceal her laughter and noticed Steve's eyes darting down to her lip, an expression of curiousity and a hint of lust in his eyes. Natasha steps closer towards the captain, who immediately stepped back, blushing. Natasha peered up into the Captain's eyes, licking her lips as she did so. Without breaking the staredown that they were having, she stepped on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Steve's cheek.

Steve was now as red as a tomato. "I didn't think you were one for PDA, Agent Romanoff."

Natasha smirked at the use of her professional name. "Well, Captain Rogers- you'd be surprised."

She pressed another kiss to Steve's cheek and walked towards the couple on the debris, who were one undergarment away from wearing their birthday suit. "I wouldn't recommend doing that if I were you," she said, stalking towards the two.

As Steve walked Natasha walk away, he couldn't help but wonder how it would feel like if _he and Natasha _were in that position.


	5. Patriotic Costumes

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing. **_

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**cinq.**

"Wow."

Natasha glared at a chortling Tony, who held a camera in his hand as he laughed. "Looks like someone went above and beyond the expectations."

The redhead narrowed her eyes, but inside she knew Stark was right. Natasha was clad in a Betsy Ross getup- complete with the cliche hat, cliche shoes and stockings and the famed red, white and blue stars and stripes dress. She had put her red locks into a bun and shoved it sloppily under the white hat and even- _god forbid_- applied some lip gloss. _Strawberry _lip gloss.

So you see, for Natasha, this was a really big deal.

Considering that it was Captain Rogers' birthday, of course.

While Steve was out on a mission a few were weeks ago, the quintet that was left behind were thinking of ways to celebrate their Captain's birthday. They each threw out ideas, each more horrible, stupid and/or impossible to do than the previous idea thrown. Then Tony, being the narcissistic asshat he is, suggested that they do a surprise American themed party for Steve, just to 'harden his balls' a little. Natasha, Thor, Clint and Bruce had first thought of that idea as ridiculous, but Natasha had warmed up to it in secret, not wanting to give Stark an unwanted ego boost.

Which was why she was the only one clad in American outerwear while the rest of her team mates made an USA-themed cake- irony: the cake was _her_ idea.

"You're going to give Captain a boner, Nat," Clint states matter-of-factly, spreading red, white and blue icing over the vanilla cake.

Natasha let out a string of curses towards the archer, to which he held up the icing-covered knife in surrender.

Bruce snorted from his position on the couch as he scrolled on his laptop. "You look pretty, Natasha. Don't listen to what Stark or Barton has to say."

"Hey!" Tony shot an accusing glare at the mild-mannered scientist. "I thought you were on my side!"

"Indeed, Lady Romanoff!" Thor booms from the toaster. "Friend Banner is correct in his statement!"

Natasha sighs, patting her pockets down for her knife to use on Stark. A flash of panic coursed through her body as she realized she did not have it at all. She ran for the elevator, flipping the bird to the self-proclaimed genius, billionaire, playboy, philantrophist and touched the button for her floor.

Once she had secured the guns to her dress, she ran out into the foyer, where an elevator door opened and was about to close.

"Hold the elevator!" she squealed, holding her dress in order to avoid tripping. The elevator door stayed open for her and she was about to step into the elevator when she paused, shocked albeit scared at its contents.

Steve Rogers stood in the elevator, his eyes scanning up and down Natasha's outfit. He stared slack-jawed for a moment, his eyes locked on her American-themed dress until he came to his senses and let out a chuckle, a bright smile crossing his face.

Natasha stepped into the elevator and stood on the opposite side of the captain, who still stared at her with amusement... and a hint of arousal? The captain let out another amused chuckle in the silence that stretched out between the pair.

The elevator finally arrived at the penthouse floor and the pair stood in uncomfortable (in Natasha's case) silence as the doors opened. Steve eyed Natasha once more, and they finally made eye contact as the redhead glanced up into baby blues. Steve broke this silence by giving Natasha a shy smile.

"You look beautiful, Tasha," he whispered, before stepping out of the elevator.

Natasha could feel her heart thumping in her chest and abruptly closes the doors, trying to collect herself.

Boy, what a sight to see- one of the world's deadliest spies in an elevator, fangirling over Captain America.

* * *

**A/N: **Inspired by a scene in 'The Nanny Diaries'.


	6. Natasha's Secret

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing. **_

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**six.**

_"Clint Barton, I will kill you!"_

A laugh erupted from said archer as Natasha chased him around the tower. "Come and get me, Nat! You can run faster than that!"

"May I intervene, Miss Romanoff," Jarvis begins to say, but Tony, watching amusedly at the two spies running around his penthouse presses the mute button to Jarvis, effectively silencing him.

"Leggo, Legolas!" he whoops, and is ignored by both agents.

Clint hits the elevator button rapidly but upon seeing Natasha approaching him at a rapid speed, he leapt out the open window and began scaling down the skyscraper.

Natasha followed suit.

A split second after the spy went after the sniper, the elevator doors opened and Bruce and Thor walked into the penthouse, grocery and McDonald's fast food bags in their hands.

Thor immediately dropped the pile of McDonald's bags onto the floor and pulled out a 20-piece pack of Chicken McNuggets, shoving fifteen of them in his mouth all at once. "I find pleasure in the array of food on Midgard, Friend Stark!" he booms. "You shall use your genius to create this McDonald's on Asgard."

Bruce shoots Tony an amused smile. "So what did I miss?" he asked as he placed the groceries into the fridge.

Tony smirks and takes a sip of wine. "Oh, dear Banner, you have _no_ idea."

~.~

Natasha scaled down the skyscraper after Barton's retreating form and leapt through the window she saw him going through a split second before. She chased the sniper through the hallways, only coming to a standstill once she had him cornered and he 'conjured' up a door out of nowhere, slamming it into her face.

"Barton!" she growled. "I swear to God, if you don't give me my guns, I will break down this door and kill you with my pinky finger."

Clint opened the door and before Natasha could act, he was right behind her and pulled her pants down. Shocked, Natasha, without bothering to pull her pants up, tried to grab the sniper in a death grip, but Clint moves faster and moves past her, quickly closing the door behind him.

Natasha curses whatever impulse made her wear jeans and a plaid shirt today. It obviously wasn't working out.

"Very mature, Barton," the redhead growls. Clint sticks his fingers out from underneath the door and Natasha grabs onto them. "Now you listen here, Barton. I am not, repeat not, letting go until you open this door!"

"Excuse me," a voice says from the elevator, and Natasha peeks between her legs to see Steve staring at her Victoria Secret-clad bum amusedly. Natasha lets go of Clint's fingers to pull up her pants, a blush painted over her cheeks.

"Oh, hi Steve," Natasha croaks, avoiding eye contact. "What are you doing here?"

"Tony told me to give Clint his new bow," Steve says and pulls an archery set, complete with a top-of-the-line bow and exploding arrows from behind his back.

"Sweet, man!" Clint's voice piped up from inside the room and he sticks his head out the door, beaming. "Just leave it in my vent! I'll pick it up once Tasha leaves, thanks Cap!"

"No problem, Clint," Steve responds, never taking his eyes of Natasha.

Sensing something going on between the two, Clint gives the two a smile. "I'd better take off my clothes. I feel sweaty."

"Seems to be popular in this building," Steve smirks, looking directly into Natasha's eyes.

Natasha gives Steve her patented Black Widow look, to which Steve responds to by biting his lip and blushing. Natasha tugs at her side braid, feeling self conscious all of a sudden.

Steve gives Natasha a smile and places the bow and arrow in front of Clint's door. He strides backwards towards the elevator doors, his baby blues shining with amusement. "I'll see you later, Agent Romanoff."

"By the way," he said before the elevator doors closed. "I really like your taste in underwear. Yellow is actually a good colour on you."

Natasha blushed.

* * *

**A/N: **Inspired by a scene from "The Nanny Diaries".


	7. A Song for Steve

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

~ this chapter is in accordance with Chapter 5.

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction, such as the Avengers, Snickers bars, Hello Kitty, Michael's, _Lego House _by Ed Sheeran and various other references.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**sept.**

Natasha sat on her bed, door locked and carefully strummed on her guitar, humming a melody under her breath in tune with the notes she strummed.

Once finished, the redhead smiles and lays the guitar down on the bed, running her fingers up and down the strings. When she was younger, she loved to sing and dance and although she publicly stated she was a ballerina, she had never ever mentioned that she thrived in vocals as well. Not even to Clint.

Singing was a way to escape reality as well; she could carve a story with her words that is unlike to her own, imagine she was another person at that very moment. A person that doesn't carry so much red in their ledger. She could be _normal. _

Putting on her reading glasses, she reaches under her mattress and pulls out a journal, laden with steel locks and warnings. Fishing out the key from her person, she unlocks it and pulls out a Hello Kitty pen, inwardly rolling her eyes at the stark contrast of the journal and the pen. As soon as the journal is opened, Natasha writes, the words spilling out of her like paint on a canvas.

Lately, Steve's been... messing with her feelings. He's made her feel things that only Clint was able to strike up in the past and to Natasha, that was not acceptable.

She can't let herself be compromised.

But that wouldn't be an excuse to not get Steve a birthday present, since his birthday was coming up so quickly. Natasha had already decided to wear an all-American get up just to rouse Steve's excitement a bit, but she didn't consider that as a proper gift.

And she was running out of ideas.

(For Banner, Thor and Clint had gotten on board with a joint-credit artistic sketchbook project and Stark bought out an entire _Michaels _store, so Natasha was convinced her gift wouldn't be as memorable, should she get a gift.)

Natasha doodles her name and Steve's in a heart, akin to the typical teenage girl of the modern day. Around it, she doodles phrases, phrases about how Steve made her feel.

Once finished, she stowed away her Hello Kitty pen and picked up her guitar once more, leaving the journal opened on her bed. She began to strum random chords on her guitar and began to sing out her words.

As she sings, a thought suddenly comes to her- it would be an original idea to write Steve a song! Natasha stops playing mid-chord and thinks of the things she'd like to sing to Steve.

Almost giddily, Natasha tosses the guitar aside and picks up the notebook.

Oh, she was going to give Steve the best birthday present ever.

~.~

_"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to you!"_

Steve smiled as the quintet around him sang loudly, showing no mercy for the new 20-something/90-something year old's hearing. Once they finished and the American-themed cake was being cut by Bruce, Steve made sure to give each of his friends a hug.

(Natasha likes to think the hug he gave her lingered.)

Once the Avengers had finished ravishing down the cake, Tony made all the Avengers sit at the dinner table, with Steve at the head.

"Gift time!" Stark happily proclaimed.

Natasha held a ukulele behind her back as she joined her friends at the table. Her eyes scanned her fellow team mates- Stark looking very smug as always, Barton, Thor and Bruce unsuccessfully trying to hide their gift and Steve, looking quite uncomfortable with the attention he was currently receiving.

(If anyone should be uncomfortable, it should be Natasha- she's been chosen to sit on the other end of the table, so more eye contact with Steve when she sings. _Great_.)

"I call first!" Clint calls, holding out a sloppily wrapped box to Steve.

Steve took the box from Clint with a smile and ripped it open with the gusto of an excited kid on Christmas day. Once all the red, white and blue shreds of the present was on the table, the quintet watched in happiness as the Captain hugged the scrapbook to his chest.

"Thank you, Clint," he says warmly.

Thor lets out a cough and Bruce shoots a death glare at Clint. "Thor and I were involved in the gift too!"

"I have drawn you a picture, Friend Rogers!" Thor snatches the scrapbook from the blond's hands and flips to a page in the book and lays it out in the middle of the table for everyone to see.

"That's... interesting," Natasha says, peering cautiously at the drawing. Thor had gone all-out Kindergarten style- he had drawn stick figures to represent all the Avengers in their respective costumes. Above each head he had wrote their names in an almost indecipherable scrawl- although Natasha could tell which one she was, considering Thor had drawn her with really big bre-

"Thor, I thought we agreed that we'd leave the scrapbook blank," Clint hisses to the demigod.

Bruce says nothing and just stares at the drawing confusedly, whilst Tony tried to contain his chuckles.

Thor glares at Tony. "Do you dare laugh at the drawing of the son of Odin?"

"Yes, I dare do," Tony chortles. "Gosh, I can top this present by just getting a freaking Snickers bar for Capsicle."

Before things could get any more intense, Bruce stepped in. "Tony, I trust you have a present that apparently '_tops this'_?"

"Indeed I do," he snarks. "But considering 'save the best for last', I would like Tasha to go next."

Natasha inwardly pales and glares at Tony. "Don't call me Tasha."

Tony winks. "Well, go on then,_ Natalie_."

"Screw you," she growls and then averts her attention to the birthday boy sitting at the end of the table. Taking a deep breath, she pulls out the ukulele from under her feet and smiles bashfully at Steve.

"I heard you dabble a little bit in music," she begins, tuning her strings, "but you haven't played guitar and sang since, well,_ forever_."

Steve gives Natasha a small smile and a nod. "Yeah, I used to love doing that. How'd you know?"

Natasha scoffs a little. "Oh, you know, just the typical life of a SHIELD agent."

"It's absolutely mandatory to know the going-ons of our agents," Clint chimes in.

Tony snorts. "I thought we were Popeye's agents, Legolas."

Clint glares.

"Shut it, Stark," Steve sighs. "As you were saying, Nat...?"

"I was thinking about what to get you for your birthday," Natasha's eyes dart away from Steve to her guitar and she started playing a few chords as she spoke. "I really wanted to be original and give you a gift that you'd remember, so," Natasha takes a breath and stares Steve straight in the eyes. "I wrote you a song."_  
_

Steve's eyes brightened. "I didn't know you played."

"Me neither!" exclaimed Clint, shooting a somewhat hurt yet proud look at his partner.

"Well, there's a lot of things you don't know about me," Natasha smiles nervously and looks around at her audience. Thor and Stark were being uncharacteristically quiet, both pairs of eyes trained on the redhead (hell, Thor abandoned his cake to watch and that was saying something), Clint was smiling, Banner was watching her fingers go up and down the strings, seemingly mesmerized and Steve... Steve just looked so adorable with that big smile on his face and the anticipation was palpable in the air and...

Natasha began.

_"I'm gonna pick up the pieces,_  
_And build a Lego house_  
_When things go wrong we can knock it down_

_My three words have two meanings,_  
_There's one thing on my mind, it's all for you_

_And it's dark in a cold December, but I've got ya to keep me warm_  
_And if you're broken I'll mend ya _  
_And keep you sheltered from the storm that's raging on now."_

Throughout the time she sang, she kept stealing glances at Steve, seeing if he was comprehending what she was subtly hinting. The redhead couldn't really guess in the split seconds she allowed her gaze to linger on the soldier; she could only decipher awe, shock and happy tears threatening to spill from his eyes

"_I'm out of touch, I'm out of love_

_I'll pick you up when you're getting down_

_And out of all these things I've done I think I love you better now_

_I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind_

_I'll do it all for you in time_

_And out of all these things I've done I think I love you better now_

_I'm gonna paint you by numbers_

_And colour you in_

_If things go right we can frame it, and put you on a wall_

_And it's so hard to say it but I've been here before_

_Now I'll surrender up my heart_

_And swap it for yours_

_I'm out of touch, I'm out of love_

_I'll pick you up when you're getting down_

_And out of all these things I've done I think I love you better now_

_I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind_

_I'll do it all for you in time_

_And out of all these things I've done I think I love you better now_

_Don't hold me down_

_I think my braces are breaking and it's more than I can take_

_And it's dark in a cold December, but I've got you to keep me warm_

_If you're broken I will mend you and keep you sheltered from the storm that's raging on now_

_I'm out of touch, I'm out of love_

_I'll pick you up when you get down_

_And out of all these things I've done I think I love you better now_

_I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind_

_I'll do it all for you in time_

_And out of all these things I've done I think I love you better now_

_I'm out of touch, I'm out of love_

_I'll pick you up when you get down_

_And out of all these things I've done I think I love you better now_

_I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind_

_I'll do it all for you in time_

_And out of all these things I've done I think I love you better now_

_I'm out of touch, I'm out of love_

_I'll pick you up when you get down_

_And out of all these things I've done I will love you better now."_

As soon as she finished, Natasha put the ukulele down on the table and stared down her audience. Each Avenger (sans Natasha, of course) stared at her slack-jawed, and Natasha saw a spark of recognition in Steve's eyes.

_Shit._

Without saying anything, Natasha bolted out of the room, ukulele clutched in her hands. Instead opting to take the elevator, she hurls down the stairs, not wanting to feel one more second of having five pairs of eyes trained on her retreating form.

Once she reached her room, she instantly smashed the ukulele to pieces and lay on her bed, ridden with tears.

* * *

**A/N: **Yes, yes- Natasha is OOC in here, and that's because I like to believe Natasha can act like a normal person her age.

(& I really just wanted to incorporate that Hello Kitty & journal thing.)

This is more of a one shot than a drabble, I suppose, so keep reviewing!

Maybe I'll post another part- **this has no timeline okay?**- if I get 20-25 reviews. (:

Thanks!

PS. I really don't know why I like people singing and dancing to get together. Perhaps it has something to do with my infatuation with High School Musical when I was younger?


	8. Leering and Potted Plants

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**huit.**

Times like these made Natasha feel thankful for her spy skills.

She crept through the hallways, tailing behind an unknowing Steve who (as cute as ever) kept walking obliviously, unaware of the spy walking silently behind him. Natasha thanked whatever higher power for giving her this chance- for giving her a chance to pursue this mission without the target being aware.

Objective?

To follow the very virginal Steve around just to watch that ass as he walks away.

So, as you can see, it was more of a personal mission than a SHIELD-initiated one.

Natasha drew in a sharp breath and leapt up into a vent behind her as Steve peered behind him, finally sensing that there was something behind him. Once he was sure that there was no one behind him, he turned around and kept walking towards the gym, ready to train.

And of course, Natasha followed him.

She kept a small distance, give or take a meter or so, away from the captain to ease his suspicions but close enough to still look at his bum, which looked absolutely juicy in those maroon pants he was currently wearing. Natasha unconsciously licked her lips, and kept her eyes locked on that plump derriere.

And then proceeded to knock down a potted plant.

A scrap of the pot that was holding the plant scratched her arm, sending Natasha into a cursing fit as she covered the wound with her hand.

Steve turned around bewildered, and upon seeing the spy cursing, his eyes widen. "Nat! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just fine," she grumbles, inwardly facepalming herself. Steve walks towards Natasha concernedly and to Natasha's pleasure, he was wearing a see-through shirt.

_Oh gosh, that chest. So freaking firm in that tight-_

_"-_we need to get you to medical right away," Steve cuts the thoughts out of Natasha's head, taking her hand in his. "I'm sure Dr. Banner has something for that. Let's go," he says, gripping Natasha's injured hand gently with his own.

Normally, she wouldn't have accepted this 'damsel-in-distress' debacle, but considering the way Steve gently held her hand in his, she would condone it for just this once.

* * *

**A/N:** A short little drabble before I go beddy-bye. :3 I'd like to credit tumblr for this prompt.

To DoOmeDZoMb1E: She ran out because she basically sang Steve a love song- her feelings- in front of everyone and she felt vulnerable so she ran out. (:


	9. The More The Deadlier

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

~ I would like to thank my anak April for giving me this prompt : 'Write about what you'd cook for an enemy.'

& The script-writers of The Princess Bride for the knowledge of iocane powder.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**neuf.**

"Hmm, which one shall I take?"

"I get it!" Steve walks into the kitchen, startling Natasha, who held various bottles of different coloured liquids in her hands. She sighed, put the bottles down on the counter and leveled the Captain with a stern look.

"I got that reference," Steve blushed. "Friday by Rebecca Black, right?"

Natasha grinned. "I wasn't exactly referring to that, _mon capitan, _I was talking about the fact that there's so much selection," she gestures to the the bottles behind her, "and I really can't decide which one to use."

Steve eyes the bottles with confusion. "What type of soda is purple?"

"Oh, that's not soda," Natasha smirks. "It's the world's most deadliest poisons. SHIELD is sending me on a mission in which I have to pose as a cook of Raquel Fernandez, one of the richest druglords of the USA and I figured I should play to his own game and let him die of the things he's been selling."

"So why are you cooking now?" Steve asks.

"I have to deliver the food, because he doesn't want any of the 'middle class' to set foot in his mansion," Natasha rolls her eyes. "He's like a Tony Stark gone wrong."

Steve chortles. "What kind of food are we talking here?"

"Oh, a margarita," Natasha smirks and gestures to her bottles. "Complete with vodka and three of the world's deadliest poisons. As well as a cake, but," Natasha sighed. "I can't decide what colours to use."

Steve's eyebrows raise up. "Colours?"

"Yes, yes, have your laugh," the redhead eyes the bottles with disdain. "Being one of the world's best spies and all, I should be worrying if the mission would go smoothly, not the freaking colours of a margarita."

"Oh, I see," Steve walks over to the bottles and fingers the purple bottle. He opens the bottle and sniffs it. "This doesn't smell like anything."

"That's the point," Natasha smiles. "But if you consume it in any way or form, you die."

"How lovely," says Steve. "May I suggest-"

_Ding!_

The pair avert their eyes to the oven; said object was beeping rapidly, much to the annoyance of Natasha. "Oh, my cake is done!"

Natasha puts on a oven glove and reaches in the oven to produce a vanilla cake, which was emitting fumes that were more-than-pleasurable for Steve. "My gosh, that smells good, Nat! I didn't know you could cook."

"I dabble a bit in the culinary arts," says Natasha smartly as she places the cake on the counter. "Now I just need to put some icing."

"Can I help with that?" Steve asks, already reaching for an icing knife in the drawer.

"I don't know, can you?" Natasha laughs. At Steve's raised eyebrow, she tosses a white apron in his direction. "As long as you wear an apron!"

"As long as _you _wear an apron," Steve retaliates, and Natasha complies with a disgruntled yet amused sigh.

"So I'll do one side and you'll do the other," Natasha informs Steve once her apron is tied around her neck. "Just don't put icing on the top."

"Why?" Steve asks as he sticks his icing knife into the vanilla icing bowl and spreads it over his side.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out," Natasha smirks, doing the same to her side.

Steve pales. "But I'm not tasting the cake! I don't want to die!"

"You'll see," the redhead finishes her side, making sure the icing is smothered perfectly over the base.

Steve finishes his side and puts the icing knife down. "So why shouldn't I exactly put icing on the top?"

Natasha's eyes sparkle as she produced a pipe of some kind from her catsuit pocket, and immediately split it in two. She immediately spills the two parts onto the cake and spreads it with the knife, making sure the powder is spread evenly onto the cake.

Steve watches confusedly. "What's that? Is that sugar?"

"Iocane powder," Natasha smirks. "The world's most deadliest power from Australia made to look like sugar and salt but is actually not. One single speckle of iocane powder can kill the person in mere seconds; I was lucky enough to lie my hands on them."

Steve chuckles nervously. "Remind me to never make you mad."

"Gladly," Natasha lets out a rare giggle, and Steve's eyes almost boggle out of his head because the Black Widow- _giggling_? Natasha didn't seem affronted to say the least, for she disposed of the knives rapidly and moved back to the margarita debacle.

"So back to this little blunder," Natasha sighs. "What were you about to suggest back then?"

_Oh. _Steve blushed. "I was about to say use all the colours you desire. It doesn't necessarily have to be three types of poison- the more the deadlier? Maybe use four, like, red, white, blue and black?"

Natasha raises an eyebrow and gives Steve a cross between a smile and a smirk. "So basically, you want me to incorporate colours of you and me in the margarita?"

"Erm..."

"That's actually a great idea," Natasha says softly, and she selects said colours from the counter. She pulls out a plastic cup and a lid and pours some vodka into it, then mixed red and black into the mixture.

"Whoa," Steve gasps as he sees the poison through the clear exterior of the plastic cup. "Can I pour the other two?"

Natasha gives him the blue and the white bottle and he pours half of the bottle just like the redhead did moments ago. Once he is finished, Natasha attached a sliced lemon peel to the rim of the cup then placed a cup over it. The redhead also attached a cover to the cake and grips them both in their arms whilst she attempted to clean up the mess she made.

"I'll clean," Steve says, pushing Natasha gently away from the counter. "You should deliver those items before they get cold."

Natasha smirks and places a kiss on Steve's cheeks. "Thanks, Steve."

Steve blushed. "No problem, Tasha."

As Natasha waddled towards the elevator, a thought struck Steve. "Will you cook for me sometime? I'd like to try that cake minus the iocane powder."

Natasha smiled. "Of course, _mon capitan_. I'd be glad to."

* * *

**A/N: **Thank April for this glorious prompt!

Next part will come up soon! Review, review, review!


	10. Winter

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**dix.**

It was the first snowfall of the year.

Natasha inwardly squeals as she runs into the kitchen/lounging area where all the Avengers were assembled. She eyes her team mates, smiling a rare full-toothed smile that set everyone but Clint on guard.

"It's snowing!" she exclaimed, gesturing to the windows.

"Indeed it is, Lady Romanoff!" Thor booms and holds up his Vanilla pop tart. "I have acquired a white pop tart in regards to the occasion."

Tony gulped down his coffee cup and stared out the window. "I've actually never gone out during the winter season; I have always relocated myself to Malibu this time of year. Have you, Brucey?"

"Not since the Other Guy," Bruce replies.

Steve says silent.

Clint and Natasha stare open mouthed at their friends. "So you're saying that none of you have ever enjoyed the winter season?"

Tony and Bruce pick at their food while Thor shook his head. "No, my friends. I have not particularly enjoyed this season, considering it was the season of the," his lips turn into a scowl. "Jotunheim."

"Alright, that's it," Clint stood up and placed his plates and cutlery into the dishwasher. "We're all going out for a team-bonding retreat. No exceptions."

Thor's eyes brighten up. "Can I bring Jan-"

"No."

Bruce smiles cheekily. "Can I bring Darc-"

"No."

Tony smirks. "Since I allowed you guys to live here, can I bring Pepp-"

"No Jane, no Darcy and no Pepper, guys," Clint sighs. "This is Avengers Assemble time. Just the six of us bonding today, enjoying all the snow NYC has to offer."

The three boys pout. "Fine."

"Now put your dishes in the dishwasher and dress warmly," Clint demands. "I'm sure Jarvis has some winter clothes stowed away somewhere, right Jarvis?"

"Indeed, Master Barton," Jarvis replies. "They are stored in the back of your closets."

"Thank you, Jarvis," Clint replies, ignoring Tony's incredulous glance. "Now disassemble, Avengers!"

Tony, Bruce and Thor did as they were told and then schlepped over to the elevator, grumbling as they did so.

As Clint walked towards the elevator, he clapped Natasha on the shoulder. "Eat first, Nat."

"Thanks, Clint," Natasha rewards the archer with a smile and the archer gives her one back as he leaves the room.

Once she was left alone, Natasha's eyes laid on Steve, who was trying hard to be invisible. His head was tucked in between his arms, and he seemed to be pretending Natasha wasn't there in an attempt to let her leave.

Although admirable, it wasn't enough to slip past the Black Widow.

"Steve?" Natasha asked softly, sitting next to him.

"Oh, hi Nat," he replies, and promptly pulls his head from between his arms. "Would you like some buttered bread?" he asked, gesturing to the plate in front of him.

Natasha smiles and grabs a plate from the cupboard, promptly takes two pieces of bread and shoves bacon left over on the table in between. "Sure."

Steve gave the spy a smile and drank out of his mug, which stood beside him seemingly forgotten moments before.

Natasha glanced out the window and reached out for Clint's coffee, which was still hot although he had left it on the table. "How about we go out to the terrace and watch the snow fall? It's been a long time since I've properly enjoyed snow."

Steve bites his lip and becomes suddenly interested with the plate of buttered bread. "I'd rather not ma'am, thank you."

"Ooh, calling me ma'am again, eh?" Natasha raises an eyebrow. "I assume you're not a big fan of snow?"

"I used to, but not anymore," Steve sighs.

"Oh, don't worry you won't get sick unless you bundle up properly!" Natasha smiles and takes a bite of her sandwich.

"It's not getting sick, it's just-" Steve cuts himself off and thinks about what to say next. He's been stuck in ice for seventy whole years and he hasn't been anywhere cold ever since; it was particularly easy to avoid the cold considering that he had been rediscovered during the spring. He thinks of walking off, running away from the situation; he couldn't be vulnerable- he's the leader of the band of misfits after all. He had to be strong; he didn't want anyone else on the team bugging him about being a Capsicle.

Natasha finished her sandwich and stared the captain down with a look and a raised eyebrow. "Just what?"

There was something in that look that she gave him that made Steve pause. Concern seemed to fill her eyes, showing vulnerability that Steve had never known existed inside Natasha.

And with that, Steve knew he could trust her.

"I've spent seventy years on ice," Steve says, sighing and gulping down the rest of his hot chocolate. "I really don't wish for a repeat experience."

Natasha stood up, placed her plate and coffee cup in the dishwasher and  
leveled Steve with a small smile. "Do you trust me?"

Steve nodded without hesitation.

"Good," Natasha strides over to the captain, pulls him out of his seat and towards the elevator. "Then you won't be cold."

~.~

"Alright, Avengers! I've googled a list of things to do," Clint holds up his phone, "and I can assure you that we're going to have a lot of fun today! Ice Skating, Window Shopping... I hope you brought your cameras!"

Natasha chortled at her partner's enthusiasm and holds up her camera. "Here, here."

Steve smiles at Natasha's proclamation and peers around at his friends' attire. Each one of his team mates were dressed in long denim pants, a warm, cozy jacket, SHIELD-approved black winter boots and their choice of hats and mittens. The Avengers dressed themselves in their trademark colours- Red and Gold for Tony, Green for Bruce, Purple for Hawkeye and Black for Natasha. Steve had just pulled on his leather jacket and pulled on mittens and a hat that had a design of his shield while Thor had attached his cape around his neck.

Suffice to say, if they had more exposure than they had gotten during the Battle of Manhattan, it would've been easy to recognize them, but Clint had convinced them to take a gamble.

"So, we're all ready? Let's go," Clint led the group out of the building.

Steve took a breath. "I can't do this," he whispered to Natasha.

Natasha grabbed his hand. "Take a breath, Captain. You can do this."

With one final squeeze from Natasha, Steve lingered one more second in the lobby and allowed himself to be pulled out of the building.

The cold hit him like a tidal wave and Steve recoiled, trying to run back into the building. Natasha kept her grip and looked him firmly in the eyes. "It gets better, Steve, trust me."

"You guys coming?" Tony yelled from up ahead.

"Yeah, in a moment!" Natasha called back.

"I don't want to do this," Steve whimpered and let a tear fall from his cheek. He closed his eyes, hoping that it would all be over.

Natasha rubbed a thumb over his cheek. "You can do this, Steve. You're the most courageous man I know. I believe in you."

The Captain's eyes snapped open at Natasha's proclamation and his eyes immediately darted down to the blanket of snow ahead of him. Natasha kept her warm hand in his as their footsteps imbedded themselves into the snow.

The pair finally caught up to their friends and Bruce smiled sympathetically at Steve. "You okay, Captain?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine Dr. Banner," he responds, still looking unsure of himself.

Natasha immediately took the initiative and pulled Steve into the warmest embrace she could muster, hugging him with all the strength she had. Once finished, she pressed a kiss to both his cheeks, delighted at the red flush in the blond's cheeks.

Tony, being Tony, gave off a wolf-whistle and smacked Clint. "Looks like you have some competition, Barton!"

"Still hating the snow?" she asked, cuddling into his side.

Steve studied Natasha, who looked absolutely astounding in her winter attire. She wore a black beanie over her red locks and everything down to her shoes were black, and to anyone else, that would be considered gothic but Steve didn't think so.

In fact, he thought she looked beautiful.

Especially with the snowflakes slowly landing themselves on her eyelashes.

Steve hugged her close. "I don't think so."

* * *

**A/N: **Second update of the day! (: I have a second part to this and it involves the Avengers touring NYC and all it has to offer during winter; this fanfic was originally supposed to be a one shot released during the winter season but I couldn't wait. Did you like it? (:

Thank you to all my reviewers! You make me sm:)le!

~Jazzy


	11. Tutti Fruitti

Child's Play

**Summary**: Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N**: This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters_**.

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

**_Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing_**.

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer**: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says._

_"It doesn't have to be," he replies._

* * *

**onze.**

"Let's go get frozen yogurt."

Steve dropped his pen and sketchbook on the floor, startled. Wildly searched around for the source of the voice, he gets out his shield from under the bed.

"Calm down, mon capitan," a familiar voice comes from above and Natasha drops from the vents.

Steve sighs, exasperated yet amused. "Why'd you have to do that? Why can't you come through the door?"

"It's more fun this way," she replies smartly and immediately picks up his sketchbook and pen to hand it back to him.

Steve gave the spy a nod as thanks. "So why are you here?"

"I'm craving for Frozen Yogurt," Natasha sits beside Steve on his bed, peering at his latest drawing of Peggy.

"Then why don't you get some?"

"Because," she said, looking mesmerized at how Steve sketched in Peggy's eyes with so much detail in just a pencil sketch. "I don't feel like going there alone."

"Why don't you take Clint? Or even Darcy?" Steve asks, shading in Peggy's hair.

"Clint's practicing his archery skills and Darcy has a date with Bruce tonight," Natasha sighs, burying her head into Steve's shoulder.

Steve tossed the sketchbook and pen aside to wrap his arms around Natasha (in comfort, he hastily reminded himself), and gently stroked her hair with his fingers. "I've actually never tried frozen yogurt before."

"All the more reason to try it!" Natasha exclaims, and jumps away from Steve to grab his leather jacket. "Now let's go! There's a lot of froyo places to choose from."

As Steve shrugged on the leather jacket and followed on Natasha's heels, he couldn't help but miss the warmth that had radiated from her just moments ago.

~.~

"Okay, so how does this work?" Steve gestures to the self-serve frozen yogurt machine, looking affronted.

Natasha held back a soft sigh and looked around to see if anyone was paying attention. Luckily, they weren't, and Natasha leads Steve's hand to the handle, placing her hand over top.

"So you pull it down," she says and moves both their hands downwards, letting the stream of vanilla frozen yogurt flow into Steve's cup, "and try to make the perfect swirl. Once you're done," Natasha guides their hands upwards. "send it back up!"

Steve's eyes brighten. "Oh, I get it!"

Natasha nods amusedly and puts her own cup under the vanilla froyo machine. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Steve who although just learning the basics several moments before, was having trouble with pulling the handles for strawberry and blueberry yogurt. Natasha chuckles as a teenaged Tutti Fruitti employee who was obviously fangirling pulled it for him with a seductive smile, all while Steve seemed oblivious to her efforts.

(Although Natasha couldn't blame her- she did fangirl as hard as Coulson when Captain America was discovered in the ice.)

Once Natasha finished incorporating all her flavours in her cup, she met Steve at the self-serve toppings station and giggled at the amount of red, white and blue gumdrops he was putting into his frozen yogurt. "Slow down there, Captain! You might just get an overload from the all-Americanness of your cup!"

Steve stuck his tongue out at Natasha childishly. "At least I'm getting toppings."

"Who said I wasn't getting toppings?" Natasha asked, chuckling at Steve's childish antics. She immediately scooped up a spoonful of brownie bites and Oreo cookies and poured it into her cup in order to prove Steve wrong.

The pair schlepped over to the counter and Natasha fished out a ten dollar bill only for Steve to stop her, holding out a ten dollar bill of his own. "I got this, Tasha."

Natasha raised an eyebrow and hastily yanked Steve's bill from his hand and held it up whilst she gave her ten dollar bill to the cashier. "No, I got it Steve."

"No, I got it," Steve grabbed his bill from Natasha's arm and held it out to the cashier.

"No, I-"

"I got-"

The cashier reaches out and takes Steve's bill. "You should be thankful someone like him would be offering to pay your food," she smiles brightly at Steve, who blushed.

However, Natasha wasn't amused.

The spy shot a death glare at Steve as they made their way out of Tutti Fruitti. "I could've paid for that."

"I was trying to be a gentleman," he says, holding the door open for the spy.

Natasha sighs; she couldn't stay mad at Steve. "Fine, I'll let it go this one time."

The pair skipped through The streets towards Stark Tower

"Well, look who we have here!" A voice chirps, and the pair turn their heads to the right to see Bruce and Darcy hand-in-hand.

Upon seeing the Tutti Fruitti cups in their hands, Darcy pouts. "Why didn't you invite us for frozen yogurt, Natasha?"

"You said you were on a date with Bruce," Natasha gestures to the mild-mannered scientist beside the brunette.

"Yet you didn't specify what you wanted to do! You only asked me if I was free! We could've gone on a double date!" Darcy pouts, and Bruce wraps an arm around her waist, pressing a kiss to her temple.

Both Natasha and Steve's eyes go comically wide, much to the amusement of Darcy and Bruce. "W-we're not a couple," Steve stutters, his face as red as a tomato.

"Yeah, not at all," Natasha shoots a nervous look at Steve and they both run into the tower, keeping a more-than-needed distance between them.

Darcy and Bruce watched them run off.

"Ten bucks that they'll hook up in a week," the brunette whispers.

Bruce smile-smirks. "Done."

* * *

**A/N:**Guise I wrote this on a mobile device & it was so hard to do UGHH with all the copy and paste nonsense and *le sigh. But I love you so I had to update before I go beddy-bye tonight! :3 I hope you liked it!


	12. Asgardian Mead

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**douze.**

"Friends, I have returned!"

"Oh, hey Thor," Tony says, not taking his eyes off the television.

Bruce, Steve, Clint and Natasha shot stern looks at the self-proclaimed billionaire, genius, playboy, philanthropist, who didn't seem affected to say the least. Steve inwardly rolls his eyes; Thor's been gone practically a month and the best Tony could give was three words of acknowledgement?

Then again, considering that this was Tony freaking Stark after all, Steve came to a conclusion that it was the best they would get.

When it became clear that Tony was not going to greet the demigod properly, the four heroes gave Thor a smile and wave to lure his attention away from Tony.

"Welcome back," Clint says, throwing a box of pop tarts in the demigod's direction.

Thor catches the box easily and gives his friends a toothy smile, Thor-style. "Thank you, Friend Barton! I have brought a present in celebration of this delightful union."

"Whoa," Tony finally makes eye contact with the demigod. "Presents?"

Bruce let out a sharp laugh. "_Now _you greet him."

Tony switches the television off and joins his friends at the kitchen aisle, waiting for Thor to unveil his present. Thor chuckles at Tony's enthusiasm and reaches into his cape, pulling out a bottle filled with a liquid of some kind.

At first, the Avengers stared at it contemplatively, until Tony picked it up and sniffed it. "Asgardian mead!" he cheers, and takes six wine glasses from the cupboard, filling each one to the brim with the mead.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Bruce holds up his hands apprehensively. "I don't think I want to get drunk in fear of the other guy coming out."

"C'mon Brucey, live a little," Tony gulped down his glass and began to fill it once again.

"Friend Stark is right!" Thor exclaimed, happily drinking down his glass.

Clint, Natasha, Bruce and Steve stared at each other and immediately, Natasha grabbed a glass of mead and gulped it down.

Steve stares incredulously at Natasha, who stared at him back.

"Russians can hold their alcohol," she says, as way of explanation.

"We should at least have two people sober," Steve says, assuming the position of team captain. "Nat's out, who wants in?"

"Count me in," Bruce says, clapping Steve's shoulder. "I wouldn't want to risk destroying New York City for a glass of mead."

"Alright," Steve smiles. "So it's you and me fo-"

"-nope, Captain," Clint interrupts, wagging a finger. "You haven't gotten drunk in a long time, so I'll be sober for tonight. No excuses."

"C'mon, Steve," Natasha says, holding out one glass to him. Steve peered at her lipstick-stained cup and shook his head vehemently.

"I don't even think I can get drunk," Steve says.

Natasha snorts. "Thor's a demigod and he looks pretty intoxicated right now," she says, gesturing to Thor who was trying to piggyback Tony. "Live a little. You need it."

Steve sighs and takes the glass from Natasha's outstretched hand.

~.~

It was 10 o' clock at night and Stark Tower was in shambles.

As expected, Tony and Thor was a handful; Tony had eaten all of Thor's pop tarts, which made Thor conjure up a drunken storm and Tony fly out in the middle of said storm, forcing Clint to call in Nick Fury and restrain the two.

Needless to say, the stress of it all made Bruce almost hulk out.

Right now, the pair was playing drunken twister, with Jarvis yelling out the colours. Clint turned his eyes away to avoid further trauma and turned to Bruce, who drank his coffee sheepishly.

"At least Natasha and Steve aren't causing us the same trouble," Bruce says, taking a sip of his coffee.

Clint took his own coffee cup and mimicked the way Bruce did it. "I wonder where they are..."

~.~

"N_-natashaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ..."_

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

The pair sat in Steve's bedroom giggling, obviously drunk out of their mind. Natasha tickled Steve with all the strength he could muster as he tried to sketch a picture for Natasha.

"Y-you're messing up my drawing," Steve stutters, giggling.

"So?" Natasha smirks drunkenly. She pushes his sketchbook aside and passionately presses her lips on his.

And the world exploded.

* * *

**A/N: **OH MY LORD THEY KISSED

LIKE ASDFGHJKL;

I was planning to write a kiss scene for later but my god I just needed to do it.

I'll write a very descriptive scene later, and if you want to see it, you'd better stick around. (;

Thanks to my reviewers: MysticFantasy, steph wwe fan, Who Says It's A Rebellion and my anonymous reviewers (Ryan, April, etc. [;) - you guys keep me going!

Til' next update! ~which is most likely today!

~Jazzy(;


	13. Deaths and Kisses

Child's Play

**Summary**: Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N**: This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters_**.

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

**_Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing_**.

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer**: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says._

_"It doesn't have to be," he replies._

* * *

**treize.**

"I'm sorry to inform you that Margaret Carter passed away earlier this evening due to cardiac arrest."

Steve's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

The woman on the other line sighed. "I'm truly sorry, sir."

Silence.

Steve pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at the time on the screen.

Sixteen seconds.

Sixteen _freaking_ seconds had succeeded in changing his life forever.

Steve sank down onto the couch, trying to process everything that's been said to him in the moments that had passed just a few mere seconds before.

_Peggy..._

A choked sob escaped his throat, alerting his fellow Avengers lounging in the kitchen to his current state.

"Is everything to your liking, Friend Rogers?" Thor asks concernedly, his mouth full of pop tarts.

Even Natasha shot him a look of concern, which was saying something.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," he stutters. "I just really- I need to leave," he says, his voice breaking.

Without one more word, Steve runs out of the room.

He bolts down to the weight room, fist clenched tightly over his mouth. This couldn't be true- it just couldn't. He just saw her. Smiling, breathing, alive. She was the only connection of his past; the only indication of the person he used to be. When he was not Captain America and just Steve, not muscular but scrawny. She was his love, the epitome of his existence.

And now she was gone. Forever.

Steve reached the weight room and immediately took refuge in a few punching bags, trying to forget, trying to leave it all behind, trying not to break.

Easier said than done.

The captain heard the sound of footsteps and he crumpled down to the ground, putting his head between his hands. He couldn't let his team see him like this; he just couldn't.

"Steve," he heard Natasha whisper, her voice tinged with sadness and concern.

Steve stayed silent.

"Oh, Steve," Clint sighs, and walks into the room, followed by the remaining Avengers.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he spewed out, gasping for air.

Someone pulls Steve's head out of his hands and immediately places their lips on his cheek. "I know you're not," a feminine voice cooes near his ear. Steve whimpers. Natasha.

The Avengers crowded around Steve and pulled him into a group hug. Tony lays on his lap, wrapping his arms around Steve's waist while Clint ran his fingers through his hair. Thor pulled Steve onto his lap, whispering stories of a happier tomorrow. Bruce buried his head into Steve's shoulder.

Natasha nuzzled his cheek and nose, wiping all his tears away.

"Don't hold back," Clint says, running his fingers through Steve's hair.

"We're here," Thor says determinedly.

"You can trust me," Bruce adds.

"You can trust us," Tony says fiercely, hugging Steve tighter.

"_You won't be alone_," Natasha whispers.

And with that, Steve let go.

~.~

"That was one hell of a night, wasn't it?"

Steve awakens in his own bed, looking confusedly at his surroundings. "Hmm?"

Natasha steps into his room, a smile gracing her features. "Bruce carried you to bed after you passed out on us last night," she says, seeing his expression. "You had m- us worried."

"Yeah, I'm sorry," Steve sits up and runs at his neck.

Natasha gives him a small smile and proceeds to walk out.

"You know, you remind me of her," he says, and Natasha paused.

"Do I?" she asked, her back still turned.

Steve took a breath. "Yeah. She's beautiful, deadly, doesn't take shit from anyone. Her eyes always sparkle, her smile is to kill for. God, Tasha, you remind me of her so much."

Natasha inhaled. Stepping back into the room, she closed the door and sat next to Steve on his bed, lying her head on his shoulder and slinging her arm around him.

"I never got to kiss her the way I've always longed to," he admitted, lying his head on top of hers. "And now I never will."

Natasha froze. Taking a deep breath, she straightened up and locked eyes with Steve.

"Kiss me."

Steve's eyes widened. "W-what?"

"You said I reminded you of Peggy," she said, eyes deadly calm, "and you didn't kiss her the way you wanted to." Natasha places a hand on Steve's cheeks, stroking it with her thumb. "So here's your chance. Kiss me the way that you would have kissed Peggy."

"Nat-"

"-it's okay," Natasha nuzzles Steve's nose, her breath on his lips.

And they kissed.

It was awkward at first; Steve had problem finding the right angle and Natasha was hesitant, seemingly unwilling to go any further.

But a few seconds in, Steve found the right angle and they kissed passionately. Steve intertwined his fingers into Natasha's red hair whilst she wrapped her arms around his neck. Steve bit her lip, and opened his mouth, poking his tongue out at Natasha's lips.

Natasha moaned and opened her mouth. "God, I didn't know you were the impulsive type."

Steve inhales in reply, and Natasha lays down on top of him, pushing them both down to the bed. Their tongues moved together in a fiery tango, and god- it was everything Steve could've wished for, but better.

Suddenly, Natasha backs off, much to Steve's confusion. She stands up, her expression stoic and proceeds to leave the room.

"Nat-"

"-this never happened," she says, walking swiftly out of the room.

She wasn't supposed to feel this way.

Love is for children after all.

* * *

A/N: Teaser about what's going to go on in ten or so chapters! You're going to love it!


	14. Nicknames

Child's Play

**Summary**: Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N**: This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters_**.

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

**_Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing_**.

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer**: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says._

_"It doesn't have to be," he replies._

* * *

**quatorze.**

"Excuse me, ma'am but would you mind handing me that pack of crackers?"

Natasha sighed. "Steve, how many times do I have to tell you that you don't need to call me ma'am? It makes me feel like an old lady. Call me Natasha."

Steve blushed. "Well okay, er, Miss Natasha."

Natasha tosses a pack of Ritz Crackers at Steve and he smiles at her, grateful. "Thank you ma'am."

"Oh my gosh, what did we just go over?" Natasha eyes Steve critically, sighing.

"Old habits die hard, ma'a- Natasha," he replies, hastily eating some crackers.

Natasha paused as she set up the coffee machine. "What started this whole ma'am thing anyway? Is it a 1940's thing?"

Steve sighs and sits down at the table, making little piles of ritz crackers. "It's actually a military thing. If you called a person of authority their given name or refused to call them ma'am or sir, you would be punished severely."

Natasha chuckled, poured herself a cup of coffee and hot chocolate for Steve and sat next to him at the table. "I don't punish unless the person is really, really bad," she says, handing him a cup complete with marshmallows. Steve nodded his thanks, but kept his eyes on the crackers.

"Look, Steve," Natasha says, lying her hand on top of his, making him pause his cracker quest. "I trust you. Okay? I can't emphasize this enough- the Black Widow trusts you. So I'm going to allow you to a privilege only Clint has. Ready?"

Steve nods, eyes still fixated on Natasha's hand. "Ready."

"I will allow you," Natasha took a deep breath, "to call me as many nicknames as you desire. Nat, Tash, Tasha, whatever you want. Except Natalie, I hate that. But otherwise," Natasha smiles, "you have free reign. Enjoy it. I do not give out these opportunities frequently. Make good use of it."

"I plan to, ma'a- Nat."

Natasha raised an eyebrow at the almost-slip. "Close one there, soldier. Nice one."

Steve smiles and gulped down his hot chocolate. "I try."

* * *

A/N: IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE -

Firstly, I must state that each chapter is its own one shot. As in, it does not relate to any of the other chapters unless stated so. Although I may write some follow-up chapters: like what happened after Steve and Natasha's drunken kiss, after Natasha sang her song to Steve, what the Avengers did during their snow tour, or much recently, what happened after Steve's failed attempt to get over Peggy by kissing Nat.

If anyone's interested in that, let me know!

Secondly, I need to tell you that I'm absolutely elated at the response I'm getting so far. (: Thank you guys for reviewing, adding my story to your favourites and following! It makes my heart feel super happy!


	15. Starbucks

Child's Play

**Summary**: Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N**: This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters_**.

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

**_Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing_**.

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer**: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says._

_"It doesn't have to be," he replies._

* * *

**quinze.**

"Since your resurrection from the Artic, have you tried Starbucks coffee?"

Steve raised an eyebrow at the redheaded spy, who was already clad in her autumn wear. "Planning to persuade me to go somewhere?"

"You guessed right," Natasha smirked in a way that would make Tony proud. "But I'm serious, have you tried Starbucks coffee?"

"I'm not really a coffee person," Steve admits. "I'm more of a hot chocolate person."

Natasha chuckles. "They put whipped cream on top of their hot chocolate."

Steve's eyes widened. "Let's go."

~.~

"Can I have one grande Caffè Americano..."

Steve paled at the almost-but-not-quite jargon flying from Natasha's mouth, eying the menu with absolute confusion. "Nat...?"

Natasha turned away from the barista, who was writing her order on the cup. "Steve?"

Steve gestures to the menu. "What is this grande? Is it a military code of some kind?"

"Not at all," Natasha responds, chortling. "Starbucks like to use different names for the sizes of their cups. Instead of small, medium and large, they use tall, grande and venti."

"Oh!" Steve's eyes brightened in almost-understanding. "So grande is the equivalent of a small?"

"No, grande is the equivalent of a medium," Natasha explains patiently. "Tall is the equivalent of a small, Venti is the equivalent of a large."

" Next in line!"

Steve swallows; Natasha smiles and pats him on his back. "March on, soldier. You'll be fine."

"Y-yeah of course," Steve says and proceeds to place his order.

"Hello, welcome to Starbucks, what can I get for you today?" the barista asks, batting her eyelashes towards the captain.

"Um..." Steve says, and immediately shoots nervous eyes at Natasha, who had picked up her Caffè Americano from the counter. The redhead shot him an amused smile and mouthed two words: Hot Chocolate.

Right. So that's what this was about.

"Hi, ma'am, um, I'd like one... um, what's the word for small again?"

Before the barista could answer, Natasha stepped in. "A tall. He'd like a tall classic-" she cuts herself off, making a gesture for Steve to finish her sentence.

"Hot chocolate," he says. "With whipped cream, pretty please."

The barista punched in his order, shooting a death glare at Natasha. Natasha replied back with her trademark Black Widow intensity and the barista gulps, averting her attention back to Steve. "That would be $4.15 gorgeous. Pick it up at the counter over there. Next!"

Natasha links her arm into Steve's and the two walked towards the counter the barista had specified.

"Thanks for saving me back there," Steve replies gratefully.

Natasha takes a sip of her Caffè Americano and smiles. "No problem, Cap! It was my absolute pleasure."

Steve collects his hot chocolate, and the two walk out of Starbucks, each clutching onto the warmth of their respective cups.

"So what do you think of your hot chocolate?" Natasha asks, gulping down the remains of her Caffè Americano and throws it into the trash.

Steve smiles. "It tastes amazing. Whipped Cream really does things to hot chocolate."

Natasha walked pensively for a moment until a Target appeared in view. "Well, if you really like whipped cream, let's go to Target and buy some. We could also get some hot chocolate packs."

Steve's eyes brightened. "That's a good idea! I hope it's not as ridiculously overpriced as Starbucks is."

Natasha chuckled. "Well, you never know."

* * *

A/N: LAST WEEK OF SUMMER FOR ME NOOOOOO.

And to make it soooo much better, my computer is slow as a turtle and won't let me update from it, so I'm forced to type it up on my mobile device's notes and then copy and paste it from there to here. To make matters worse, I can't properly bold, italizize and underline parts, except for the author's note up there which was bolded, italicized and underlined when my computer was fullyfunctional. So UGHH I don't even.

Once school kicks in, I can't count on everyday updates given the amount of time I will study this year. But I can guarantee I can upload at least once a week in my computer class so Hakuna Matata! Thanks for reviewing and supporting! (:

~ Jazzy(;


	16. Japadogs and Central Park

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**seize.**

"Hey, want to go for a walk?"

Natasha peered over her reading glasses to look at Steve, who held her jacket sheepishly. "I don't remember giving that to you," she says, crossing her arms across her chest.

Steve blushed. "I was doing the laundry."

Natasha smirked. "Normally I would've killed you by now if you were someone else, but not many people can sneak past me, so," she says, putting Pride and Prejudice on her counter and slipped off her glasses. "Let's go."

"Well, then," he says, handing Natasha her jacket. "Let us embark on this daunting journey!"

Natasha snorts. "You've been hanging with Thor a lot, haven't you?"

"Maybe I have," he says, linking his arm in hers.

As the two heroes made their way out of the tower, Natasha paused. "Where exactly are we going?"

Steve smiles. "I know a place."

~.~

"Боже мой," Natasha breathes. She stares down at her hotdog incredulously. "These are amazing! How'd you know about this place?"

Steve bites down on his hotdog and smiles. "Clint told me."

Natasha couldn't help but moan as she bit into her hot dog. Steve had taken her to a place called Japadog, and Natasha sent out a telepathic message of thanks to Clint.

"Liking the croquette hot dog?" Steve asked cheekily, biting another piece off his hot dog and wiping his face with a napkin.

Natasha smiled; Steve was truly the epitome of politeness. "I do! I'm loving the fried mashed potatoes and the sauce! How about your meat lovers hot dog? Is the cheese to your pleasure?"

"Of course," Steve licks all the cheese off the top and it's so un Captain American-y that Natasha lets out a rare full-toothed smile.

Once the two finish their respective hot dogs ,the pair stroll through the chilly autumn weather.

"That was so much fun," Natasha smiles, wind biting at her cheeks.

"Oh, really?" Steve asks, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. "Well, then you're going to like what's next in store," he says, grasping her hand in his.

~.~

"Central Park? Really, Steve?"

"C'mon, Tash, have you ever been here just to have fun not for a battle?" he pouts.

Natasha sighs. "You're lucky I like you."

Steve smiles toothily and points happily at children riding a carousel. "Nat, can we ride it?"

Natasha doesn't say anything, just tugs him towards the carousel (of death, she adds amusedly in her mind)

and stands in line, laughing inwardly at Steve's excited expression.

"I've never been able to afford going on a carousel before," he says.

Natasha squeezed his shoulder. "Guess it's both our first times," she says. "I'm kind of dreading it though."

The line moves forward and sooner than they know it, the two are launched into the world of horse-picking, much to Steve's excitement.

"I've always wanted to experience the thrill of picking a horse," he says, climbing on a black stallion. He strokes its (plastic) mane, nuzzling his cheek into it. "Hi horsey, what's your name?"

Natasha smiles, awed by the Captain's cuteness and climbs onto the black stallion next to his.

"Here we go!"

~.~

"Wasn't that fun?"

Natasha nodded dizzily. "It was, but I don't quite enjoy being spun around and around and around for god-knows-how many times."

Steve chuckles. "It's the thought that counts."

It was getting dark, and the park was nearly-abandoned, save for a few hot dog vendors who were still trying their luck at selling this time of day. Natasha looped her arm with Steve's, and the two walked towards the exit when suddenly, a playground came into Natasha's peripheral vision.

She halts Steve as he pulls her towards the exit. "Nat, what is it?"

Natasha doesn't respond, just lets her gaze stay on the playground.

Steve follows her gaze and smiles. He grabs her hand and leads her towards the playground. "I've actually never played on a playground before."

Natasha's eyes brighten, but only for a moment before she's back to her usual stoic expression. "Me neither."

Steve helps Natasha onto the equipment and she eyes the play-bridge in trepidation.

"That doesn't look stable," she says.

Pulling out a tightrope from her pocket, she threw it to the other side and walked it to the other side, with the occasional flip.

Steve watched her incredulously as she rolled up the tightrope and put it back in her jeans pocket. "Nat, it's supposed to be moving," he says, jumping onto the bridge, which wavered side to side. He let out a peal of laughter and held out a hand to Natasha, who eyed it warily. "It's

fun, Nat! No booby traps or anything! Trust me!"

Natasha took his hand and he immediately pulled her into the rocking bridge.

Still holding her hand, Steve separates his feet into a parallel position and moves his hips from side to side, making the bridge rock. "C'mon, Nat! Live a little!"

"As long as you hold me," Natasha mumbles, holding out her other hand to the super soldier.

Steve grabs it and Natasha mimics what he had done earlier. Surprisingly, once she finally got the feel of it, she actually... Enjoyed herself. She giggled with Steve as they held onto each other, the bridge waving below them.

"Hey, let's race on the swings!" Steve exclaims happily, pulling Natasha towards them.

Natasha let herself be pulled but paused in front of the swings. "I really don't know how to ride a

swing," she admitted, blushing.

"I'll teach you," Steve says. "Sit down and I'll push you."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Push me off?"

"Push you up," he says. "Upsy-daisy, Nat!"

Natasha sits down on the swing, arming a gun if necessary. But Steve sticks to his promise and pushes her up, and Natasha marvels.

It felt like she was... Flying.

Not the out-of-control nearly dying predicament during Loki's first invasion, but just flying. Like a bird setting its wings to the sky, overlooking it's surroundings.

And for the first time in forever, she felt innocent.

Steve stopped pushing her and sat on the swing beside her. "Ten bucks that I can go higher than you."

Natasha chuckles. "You really think you can beat the Black Widow?"

"I am Captain America, after all," he says, pushing himself up to Natasha's height.

"Bring it," she giggles.

Once Steve had slipped Natasha ten dollars due to his epic fail, the two walked back to Stark Tower, giggling all the way.

"It's refreshing to act like a child for once," Natasha admits. "Thanks for bringing me with you. You're a great friend."

Steve's smile falters at the word friend, but he impulsively hugs the redhead close. "It is Child's Play, after all."

* * *

A/N: Prompt - swings, credit my cousin Tat (Jetsir). Thank you, Tat!


	17. Glances

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**dix-sept.**

It all starts with a glance.

Steve's sleepy as hell- _because who wouldn't be sleepy as hell after fighting a demi-god's manic brother and his army?_- and his head is pounding and every bite he takes of the godforsaken shawarma takes like wood. Yet, he places a smile on his face, trying to keep the good mood among his fellow comarades going.

Although the sentiment was admirable, it certainly wasn't enough to slip the Black Widow's attention.

Her emerald eyes landed on his exhausted form and the redhead stared unashamedly as she traced the captain's features, pinpointing fatigue and pain. It seemed Steve had sensed her staring, for his eyes snapped up and bored into Natasha's.

The two exchanged a long, heated glance full of tension. Steve bit his lip and Natasha's eyes darted to said lip, admiring the sheer redness. She wondered if his lips were as smooth as they loo-

_No. No._ Natasha sharply drew her gaze away from the captain and became enamoured with Clint's conversation with Tony instead.

Love was for children. She couldn't. She_wouldn't._

At least, that's what she told herself once Steve let out that breathy laugh that left her licking her lips.


	18. One Direction

Child's Play

**Summary**: Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N**: This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters_**.

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

**_Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing_**.

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer**: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says._

_"It doesn't have to be," he replies._

* * *

**dix-huit.**

It all started innocently enough.

Steve and Natasha were just in their local HMV store, leafing through music when a shriek suddenly let loose from behind.

The two heroes turned around, startled, and came face-to-face with a giant group of girls. Upon seeing their faces, the mob started to shriek ten times more loudly.

"I was right! That was Captain America's ass!" a voice piped up from somewhere within the group.

Steve stayed still, staring at the group of girls dumbstruck.

Being Natasha, the redhead quickly took charged, and grabbed Steve by the arm. The pair raced out of the store, the mob hot on their heels.

"Вот дерьмо," Natasha cursed, holding onto Steve more tightly. "We need to lose them."

"You think?" Steve breathed, peering back behind him; the mob was still alive and screaming.

Natasha's eyes brightened as Madison Square Garden came into view. "I think I may have a plan of attack, soldier."

The two run towards the stadium and by luck, an alleyway leading to an open doorway appears to their right.

Natasha whoops silently and peers back; they had a good ten feet from the mob now. The two bolt down the alleyway and into the open door, slamming it behind them.

Once the two hear the screams pass by, they share a breath of relief, leaning their backs against the door.

Until they heard the sound of footsteps and loud voices coming their way.

Natasha and Steve looked at each other, alarmed and quickly slipped into the nearest room labelled wardrobe. The two shut the door and applied the locks.

"What are we going to do?" Steve asks, eyeing the costumes on the shelf.

Natasha gestures to the shelf, eyes sparkling. "Look around you, Steve! This is a spy's dream; disguise heaven! There's so much selection."

Steve smiles at Natasha's enthusiasm. "So what are we wearing?"

Natasha stalks over to the shelf and picks out two hoodies that had "I heart 1D" on them along with black sweatpants. The redhead handed the hoodie with the union jack to Steve while acquiring the black hoodie for herself.

Natasha snickers as Steve states at his hoodie, forlorn. "I feel like I'm betraying my country," he whimpers, before Natasha comes over and pulls it over his head.

The pair pulls the sweatpants over their pants and picks sunglasses from the counter to hide their faces. They each pull their respective hoods over their heads and study themselves in the mirror.

Steve looks down to his sweatshirt in confusion. "What is this 1D?"

Natasha shrugged. "Guess we'll find out."

The two unlocked the door and quietly made their way out of the wardrobe room. Once they had reached the door that they had entered in earlier, the two share a high five.

"Mission accomplished," Steve whispers.

Spoke too soon.

"Hey, you two! Hold it right there!"

The pair froze, turning around to face a burly security guard, a menacing look on his face. "Where do you think you're going? You're supposed to be on stage!"

"Excuse me?" Steve croaked.

"You guys are the backup dancers we've been looking for! Concert starts in two hours and you need to be onstage practicing! Now c'mon, let's move!"

Steve and Natasha stared at each other for a moment. Due to Natasha being a spy and used to dealing with men like this, Steve let her take the reigns.

"We can't really sir," she says, with the innocence of a petunia. "You see my friend is nauseous right now and I really need to bring him to a doctor."

The security guard's eyebrows knot together as he observed Steve, who did his best impression of Tony on a hangover. It worked. The guard waved the two off with a sigh.

Once the door closed behind them, the two, still clad in their 'I heart 1D' hoodies, walk out triumphantly, almost confident that they wouldn't run into anymore trouble-

-only to come face to face with the mob they narrowly escaped earlier.

Or, not so much, because they hardly noticed the two heroes- all the girls included in the mob were sporting the same '1D' logos that were on their hoodies.

"Okay," Steve whispered lowly to Natasha, in fear of attracting the hundred or so girls. "What is this '1D'?"

"One Direction!"

Screams pierced their eardrums.

Natasha winced. "Guess we found our answer," she says, pulling them into the crowd.

The pair watched as five swiftly-groomed gentlemen stepped out from a limousine, each shooting smiles to the crowd.

"Judging by the screams," Natasha yelled over the shrieking crowd. "I suppose these guys are a band called One Direction and are very popular amongst teens. And- oh," Natasha listens closely to the lyrics girls were yelling out. "Their popular song seems to be called 'What Makes You Beautiful'."

"Nice to know," Steve says, and the pair watch the quintet of boys walk towards the main entrance of Madison Square Garden.

Steve and Natasha watched as One Direction inched their way into the theatre when suddenly, a short girl that couldn't be more than fourteen years old jumped out of nowhere and onto the curly-haired boy.

A hush fell over the mob as the girl promptly licked the boy's cheek and Steve blushed, burying his head in Natasha's shoulder.

"I don't want to see this," he mumbled.

"You guys mean the world to me," the girl whispered, nuzzling the curly haired boy's nose. A gasp practically erupted from the crowd as the girl pressed her lips into the boy's and forced her tongue into his mouth. Once they separated, the girl moved her lips down to his neck. "Hi," she whispered. "I'm April and I'm beyond your wildest dreams."

"Um, hi," the curly haired boy replies, pulling April off his figure. "I'm Harry and I'd like to have my personal space, thank you."

"Why should you, Hazza," April breathes. "You guys have changed my life so much. Let me thank you for that," she says, flipping her hair over her shoulder seductively.

Harry only had a second to step towards his band mates before April jumped on his again, reaching down to squeeze his derrière.

Steve raised his head from Natasha's shoulder and made eye contact with a girl who looked like she was going to ravish him, April-style.

"Nat?" he asked, poking at the redhead's shoulder.

"Hmm?" she breathed, eyes still on April and Harry.

"I think we'd better go now," he says, pulling at her arm.

"Why-"

"OHMYGOSH IT'S CAPTAIN AMERICA!"

The pair looked at each other.

"Ruuuuuuuun!"

* * *

A/N: Thanks for giving me this prompt anak. (:

& LORD. I HAVE HIT 55 REVIEWS OHMYGOD I LOVE YOU ALL


	19. Photo Albums

Child's Play

**Summary**: Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N**: This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters_**.

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

**_Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing_**.

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer**: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says._

_"It doesn't have to be," he replies._

* * *

**dix-neuf.**

Steve didn't really mean to come across the pictures.

It was an accident, per se. It wasn't his fault- it wasn't anybody's fault. Nobody knew about it.

He actually didn't mean to come into Natasha's room, anyway. Steve actually meant to return a gun the spy had left in the training room. His plan was supposed to go as listed: leave it front of her door and leave.

The former was easy to complete, the latter- not so much.

You see, Steve jammed the gun (which was luckily bullet-free) under Natasha's door when suddenly, it creaked open. Usually, Steve would just leave it alone and depart as quickly as he arrived, but there was something luring him to enter.

His good morals argued relentlessly against this "lure", but curiosity overtook his senses. Steve stepped in, quietly closing the door behind him.

Natasha's room was... absolutely nothing like he imagined. He had expected the room to be void of any light, to have the walls painted black but it was left blank, save for a desk, a counter and a lamp, where her reading glasses sat.

Steve took the gun from where he dropped it and reasoned to put it on the desk, along with the rest of her gun collection, which was locked in a glass case on the top of her desk. He was about to put it down when something caught his attention.

A white book was facedown on the desk, little scribbles on the back in Natasha's pixie writing of inspirational quotes. Steve put the gun down and flipped it over, exposing a Hello Kitty photo album.

Hello Kitty? Steve eyed the book warily. He opened the book and to his surprise, a picture of a smiling girl with two front teeth missing appeared, with green eyes that could unmistakably be... Natasha's.

Before it all went wrong, the caption

next to the picture proclaimed in Sharpie. An arrow (drawn impressively, Steve notes) protrudes from the picture, pointing at the bottom right hand corner.

Steve takes that as a cue to turn the page, to which he comes to see petite Natasha, sitting on the lap of a older woman, who was leaning her head against an older man. Each person had the same hue of Natasha's eyes and Steve gasped, reading the caption.

Me, Pa and Ma, the sharpie caption proclaims. First and Last Family Photo before capture.

Eyes boggling, Steve runs his fingers over the photograph, feeling he was intruding on something personal.

To get rid of the feeling, he hastily flipped the page, finding himself staring at a photo of just recently, with Natasha working as "Natalie Rushman", Stark's former assistant. Natasha (or, Natashalie, as Tony bitterly called her, pretending that he had 'mistaken her identity') stood beside Tony who had slung an arm over the redhead's shoulders and had a bottle of Jack Daniels in his hands. The captain chuckles at the less-than-amused expression on Natasha's face and promptly flips pages.

- and comes face to face with a pair of photos depicting Natasha clad in lingerie.

Blood rushed to Steve's face (and to his nether regions, but he wouldn't admit that). It was basically every single perverted man's dream- a beautiful lady (Natasha) in a black (lace) bra and panty set with a white blanket slung over her midsection.

Steve Rogers was not raised a pervert, but he had never felt so jealous of an inanimate object in his life.

- but it was so wrong! He wasn't supposed to be turned on by her- she was a team mate and also one of the world's most deadliest spies! She'd kill him if he proclaimed his love (or lust); she was probably dating Clint anyway.

With one more look at the photo, Steve slams the album shut and left it how he found it, flipping it upside down.

* * *

A/N: Only one update today! Which absolutely sucks, considering I've been updating usually four times a day for the past week.

Prompt credit: Anak- "use these six words in the story: Album, family, accident, love, mistaken identity".


	20. Hide and Seek

Child's Play

**Summary**: Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N**: This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters_**.

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

**_Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing_**.

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer**: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says._

_"It doesn't have to be," he replies._

* * *

**vingt.**

"I want to play some hide and seek."

For a second, stunned, confused silence filled the room.

"What the hell," Clint raises an eyebrow. "Have you officially gone mad, Stark?"

"Oh, shut it, Barton," Tony snarks, stealing a chip from Clint's bowl. "I bet you've never even played it for fun anyway."

"Have you?" Bruce asks, sipping his green tea.

Tony snorts. "Of course not. That's why I'm suggesting it."

Natasha rolls her eyes. "We're not children, Stark."

"I am in," Thor booms, his mouth full of pop tarts. "I have yet to discover what things you Midgardians do in your free time."

"Alright!" Tony reaches over and gives Thor a high-five. "What about you, Brucey?"

Bruce thought for a moment. "Sure, I guess. Just don't sneak up on me."

Tony gives Bruce a thumbs up and proceeds to turn to the remaining three Avengers. "Legolas, Widow and Capsicle? What about you?"

"I'm in," Clint says, standing up and flexing his fingers.

Steve and Natasha looked at each other. "I'm in if you're in," she whispers.

Steve nods. "Fine, I'll play."

Tony smiles. "Great! Who's it?"

"Say, why don't we team up?" Clint pipes up, raising up a hand. "There's six of us; we can split up into three teams of two- two teams hiding, one team finding. When one team is found, they team up with the finding team and they find the last hiding team."

Natasha wraps her head around Clint's logic quite easily. "That's actually not a bad idea."

Clint shoots Natasha a smug smile. "If only you were like this in Budapest."

Tony immediately grabbed Bruce's wrist. "I'm with my Science Bro!"

Thor picks up Clint. "I shall acquire the Eye of Hawk as my comrade!"

Steve and Natasha smiled at each other warmly. "That just leaves you and me," she says, snaking an arm around the super soldier's shoulders.

"So, ground rules," Tony says in his best impression of Nick Fury, making Clint and Natasha snort.

"What do you know about rules?" Clint chuckles.

Tony smirks. "I suggested it so shut it, Barton."

Clint scoffed.

"Anyway, we're only using the sixty-ninth to seventy-first floor," Tony continues. "No hiding in your own rooms, no hanging yourselves outside the window like that Peter Parker kid and absolutely no making out in my closets," he concludes, shooting a smirk at Steve and Natasha, who both gave him glares. "Bruce and I are it, we'll count to 60 and then we're a-coming for you!"

Thor whispers something into Clint's ear, and he smirks, pointing up at the ceiling. "No Jarvis for you, Tony."

Tony pouts and covers his eyes. "Fiiine. Avengers Dissassemble, we're counting. One, Two..."

Bruce shrugs and joins his science brother, covering his eyes as well. "Three, four..."

The remaining pairs stare at each other incredulously, and each pair scramble out of the room in opposite directions.

"Game plan?" Steve whispered as the pair left the room.

"No idea," Natasha whispers back.

~.~

"We're a-coming for you!"

Steve winced as Tony's voice came over loud and obnoxiously over the intercom. "Guess the minute is up."

"Jarvis, what floor are we on?" Natasha whispered up to the AI, who shot a number by laser on the wall. 70.

"Well, that sucks," Steve whispers. "I wonder where Stark and Banner a-"

Natasha cut him off by dragging him into a room, placing a well-manicured

hand over his mouth. "They're coming. Stay quiet."

"Get your own hiding spot!" a voice hisses from the closet and Clint pops his head out. "This room is taken."

"And then I told Pep, you're the sexiest spice I've ever met in my life," Tony pipes from the hallway whilst Bruce chuckles; the threesome heard doors opening and closing; Natasha felt the doorknob jiggle from behind her back.

The threesome's eyes widened. "Hide!" Natasha squealed, flipping off the light switch and dragging Steve and herself under the bed.

Steve hugged Natasha to his chest,

breathing lightly as Tony opened the door to the room and peered around, presumably finding nothing. Once the door slammed and the angry mumbles went out of earshot, Natasha and Steve slipped out from under the bed.

Thor sticks his head from behind the closet door. "Have they vanished?"

"Yes, they have," Steve responds, and Clint joins Thor in sticking his head out.

"This is our hiding spot! Get out!"

Natasha raises her hands innocently. "Fine, we'll go then!"

Clint shot Natasha one last warning look and pulls Thor into the closet, slamming the door behind them.

Steve walks towards the door, but Natasha stops him, and he stares at her confusedly. "We're not going out the door," Natasha explains, her eyes

darting around the room.

"Then what-" Steve begins to say, but is pulled by Natasha on top of Tony's bed.

The pair stands up on the bed as Natasha reaches for the vent at the top- and that's when Steve finally gets into the loop.

"Go through the vent?" Steve whispers. "Me? I won't fit!"

"You won't if you don't believe," Natasha says. "Give me a lift."

Steve gives Natasha a boost and crawls in (with great difficulty) behind her.

~.~

"I cannot," Steve rasps out, "believe I actually slipped through a vent of that size."

"Well, believe it, Cap," Natasha says, lending a hand to aide him in his release from the vent.

Steve freed himself from the vent and accepted Natasha's hand with a nod of thanks. "Where are we?"

Natasha looked around at her dim surroundings. "It seems like a coat closet! We have stumbled in a good hiding place."

Steve closes the vent door and squints his eyes through the dim coat room. "This is really nice."

"Jarvis," Natasha whispers into the darkness. "What floor are we?"

The laser pointer from earlier appeared on the wall, proclaiming 69.

"Two floors below the drama," Natasha chuckles, sitting down. Steve sits down next to her and she lies her head on his shoulder, to which he responds to by wrapping his arms around her.

"I could stay like this forever," she whispers.

Steve smiles. "Yeah, me too."

* * *

A/N: I LIED! Second update of the day! :3

A little fluffiness to brighten up your day?


	21. Sketches

Child's Play

**Summary**: Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N**: This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters_**.

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

**_Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing_**.

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer**: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says._

_"It doesn't have to be," he replies._

* * *

**vingt-et-un.**

"Sit down."

Natasha stood at her position by Steve's doorframe unmoving and raised an eyebrow, amused. "Demanding, are you now?"

"Nat, seriously!" he groaned. "I really want to do something."

Natasha stepped into the room, closing the door behind her and sat in the chair in front of Steve's bed, smirking. "So what exactly did you want to do with me? Fondue?"

Steve blushed red. "N-no! I wanted to sketch you."

"You want me to pose?" Natasha smiles, sitting up straight.

Steve nods in reply. "Stay still; keep your eyes on me."

Natasha obliged.

She watched, mesmerized as Steve began to draw. It was like he was conducting a symphony- he drew each line smoothly with the occasional rash movement. He selected his pencil crayons like a violinist would select their bow; like a drummer would select their sticks. Natasha peered at the colours he picked up: red, black, tan, green, pink.

Suddenly, Steve's gaze averted from his page to Natasha, and the two shared a heated look. Steve kept his eyes on Natasha's as he drew; the spy took this as a challenge and stared back with the same intensity. Steve broke the state by looking back to his paper, and Natasha felt disappointed for a second until Steve ripped out the sketch from his notebook and handed it to Natasha.

"Wow, Cap," Natasha breathed, running a hand over her sketched in hair. "This looks more like a photograph than a sketch, my darling. If the Captain thing doesn't work out, at least you have art to fall back on."

Steve blushed. "Thanks, Nat."

Natasha smiles at the Captain and immediately stands up to sit next to him on the bed. "Can you teach me how to draw like that?"

"I can try," he chuckles.

* * *

A/N: Update attack!


	22. Fondue

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**vingt-deux.**

"Hey, Steve, want some fondue?"

Steve paled. "W-what?"

"Fondue," Natasha says confusedly, holding out a plate of bread and melted cheese. "It's good! Wanna try it with me?"

The statement 'try it with me' made Steve redden more, and he bolted out of the penthouse, feeling Natasha's confused glance follow him out.

Serves him right for attending one of Stark's parties.

~.~

"I must say, Natashalie, I am impressed."

Turning her gaze away from the direction the super soldier had bolted, the spy turns, glaring at a very smug Tony.

Tony raised his hands in surrender. "I'm just saying, I'm very impressed. You scared away Cap!"

"I just don't get why though," Natasha says, opting to ignore Tony's smugness.

Which, of course, made Tony even more infuriating to deal with. "You don't know? I'm surprised, with you being a spy and whatnot."

"Just tell me, Stark," Natasha growls. "Stop with the mind games."

Tony takes a sip of his Jack Daniels, and gestures to the cheese spit, smirking. "If you look at the cheese up close and didn't know it was cheese, what would you think it would be?"

Natasha scoffs. "Ridiculous. It is obviously cheese."

Tony snorts. "If you were as sexually inept as Rogers is, what would you think it is?"

Natasha's eyes narrow. "Sexually inept? What is that-" her face pales. "Stark. What did you say to him?"

"It was my old man, actually," Tony downs the whole bottle and smirks.

Natasha gives one last withering look to the billionaire and bolts in the direction the super soldier had ran away to. "Steve!"

Tony chuckles.

He had a feeling those two were going to fondue sooner or later.


	23. TaekwonDo Troubles

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**vingt-trois.**

"Welcome back, Ms. Rushman."

Natasha peered around the Taekwon-Do school excitedly, elated at her return. It had been a month since she had last trained in this martial art, and she was looking forward to train amongst her friends from the 'Natalie-situation' and perfect her patterns. The redhead shot a toothy smile to the receptionist who reciprocated and headed to the changing room to change into her wrinkled-up dobok.

(It was the wrinkles that signifies what she had went through, so she opted to not iron it.)

(Even though she thinks it's a matter of her own laziness.)

Black belt tied around her waist, the spy sauntered into the dojang, lined herself up first in the line of attending black belts and smiled as she recited the Black Belt Oath.

Boy, it was good to be home.

(Debris and all.)

~.~

The elated feeling of coming back was vanquished as quickly as it started.

Then again, she should've played sick. Maybe then she wouldn't be stuck in the middle of a black belt pattern, blushing for her life.

"Shoot," Natasha cursed as she hurriedly tried to make her sitting stance wider. The instructor eyed her, unimpressed as he watched.

"What kind of a stance is that, lady?" he says, pointing disgustedly to her legs. "That is by no means black belt material."

Natasha blushed, ignored the question and fixed her stance.

She continued on with the rest of the pattern, putting in all the effort that she could muster.

It wasn't enough.

(She had a feeling she could never show her face there ever again.)

~.~

"Rough day?"

Natasha walked into Stark Tower, eyes haggard and miserable as she stared at Clint, who stared back concernedly. She threw her Taekwon-Do bag on the floor by the sniper, who raised an eyebrow. "I'll be in my room," she says miserably, and marches out.

Steve, sitting at the dining table, stares after Natasha.

"I'll go," he voiced to Clint, who had dragged his butt halfway off the couch to follow Natasha. The sniper sat back down, turning to face Steve who was rising out of his seat.

Their eyes met and Steve could render a simple message from the grey orbs boring into his eyes.

Take care of her.

With that, Steve bolted after Natasha.

~.~

"Nat?"

Natasha sat, head in her hands on her bed, waiting for the shame to overtake her senses. She had spent many years of her life dedicated to martial arts and this one little blunder could redefine her status as the Black Widow. Realizing this, Natasha groaned, waiting for tears.

"Nat?" a voice called again, sounding more concerned than impatient.

Natasha faked a happy voice. "Who is it?"

"It's Steve," the voice replies. "Can I come in?"

Natasha sighs. "Sure. But close the door behind you."

The door opens, and sure enough, in come Steve. Natasha puts on the happiest smile she could muster. "So what's up?"

"Don't 'what's up' me," Steve says, closing the door behind him. He crawls over to Natasha's bedside and sits down next to her. "Tell me what's wrong."

"It's nothing," Natasha mumbles, picking at her comforter.

"It's obviously not nothing," Steve responds, wrapping an arm around her figure. Natasha immediately cuddles into the super soldier, sighing contently. "Do you trust me?"

Natasha goes rigid for a second, then melts back into his embrace. "Yes."

"Then tell me," he prods, running his fingers through her hair.

"I suck," she says bluntly, surprising both herself and the super soldier. Steve stays silent as Natasha blushes shamefully. "I haven't been to Taekwon-do in a month and I've fallen behind. Everything I did this class was a total epic fail," Natasha chuckles humorlessly. "I don't think I can ever show my face again."

Steve hugs Natasha close. "Just because you think you sucked this class, doesn't mean you'll suck the next one."

"How do you know that?" Natasha sighs, breathing lightly.

Steve smiles. "I just know; you're the Black Widow after all. You'll pull through. Maybe even next class, I'll come with you for moral support."

"You would do that?" Natasha whispered, barely audible.

Steve pressed a kiss into Natasha's hair. "Anything for you, Nat."

* * *

A/N: I had the most crap-tastic day ever at martial arts today I just seriously can't even. I had skipped a month to go on vacation and came back today for martial arts(thus the lack of updates) & it was patterns day and well... This happened. I don't take criticism well so this spawned from my feels so.. Yeah.

Dobok&Dojang: Uniform&Training Gym

& at least I've hit 73 reviews- 27 away from 100! (: Thank you!

~Jazzy(;


	24. The Insomniac Club

Child's Play

**Summary**: Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N**: This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters_**.

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

**_Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing_**.

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer**: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says._

_"It doesn't have to be," he replies._

* * *

**vingt-quatre.**

"Can't sleep?"

Steve looks up from his mug of hot chocolate to see Natasha, a coffee cup clenched in her hands. He gives a nod of acknowledgement, smiling.

"I've slept for seventy years," he says by way of explanation. "I don't think I don't need much more shut-eye."

Natasha nods, tight-lipped. She sits next to Steve on the couch and switches on the television. The pair sits in silence as a recap taping of America's Got Talent plays, each content to let the other start their conversation as they finish their respective drinks.

-which was ruined by Steve as he spewed hot chocolate on the table, slack-jawed at what just happened on screen.

Natasha burst out laughing; America's Got Talent was interrupted by a news report of Tony streaking in Vegas, literally just walking around the streets in his birthday suit. Steve stared, traumatized as they got a clear shot of Tony smirking his signature smirk into the camera.

As if he knew it was there.

The pair looked at each other and share a sigh.

"Should we fly over and try to contain him?" Steve asks, rubbing his temples.

"Rather not," Natasha says. "Pepper would probably beat the crap out of him more than we ever could. It is their anniversary, after all."

Steve sighs. "I just hope I don't get fired for this."

Natasha rolls her eyes. "Sleepy yet?"

Steve shakes his head.

Sighing, the redhead looks out the window to the bright lights of New York City, still shining brightly at that time of day. A thought suddenly struck Natasha and she immediately leaps up, grabbing her coat off the coat rack.

Steve stares confusedly at the redhead for a second and the spy threw him his own leather jacket by way of explanation. "Where are we going?"

Natasha gestures to the window, a big smile on her face. "Order one of the insomniacs club: go into the City that never sleeps."

~.~

The two, bundled up in their coats, leave the tower, heading for Times Square.

"Is it even open?" Steve asks (whispers really), afraid that someone would come up and sneak up on them; he hadn't brought his shield after all. "It's almost two o'clock in the morning."

"Oui, mon capitan," Natasha chirped in a fluent French accent. "It is one thirty in the morning and we are in the city that never sleeps. As in, it never shuts down. It just keeps on working."

"That's.. Interesting," Steve says, his eyes locked on the lights ahead.

Natasha snorts. "Fury told me about this bet you guys held pre-Loki. Can I have ten bucks?"

Steve shoots the spy a glare, to which she responds to with an innocent smile.

"Just saying," she says, grabbing his hand and running, pulling him faster towards the lights.

After minutes of running, the two find themselves in the middle of Times Square. The pair looked around, awed, both having never being there before.

Natasha, for once, is at a loss of words.

"This is beautiful," Steve says, gaping around at the various signs, lit up brightly for the insomniacs to see. His eyes dance over all the various signs, childish delight taking its position in both heroes.

"Where do you want to go first?" Natasha breathes.

Steve's eyes wander around the square. His eyes widen and he points to M&M World, a smile overtaking his place. "Can we go there?"

Natasha's lips curl into a smile. Squeezing Steve's hand, the two walk excitedly to M&M World, ready for what was to face them.

~.~

"I still can't believe you got that," Natasha laughs.

It's 2:04 in the morning and the pair sat in the Times Square McDonald's, eating French Fries and Chicken McNuggets like there was no tomorrow. Natasha drank her chocolate milkshake amusedly while Steve stared into the lens of his new camera, which had M&M's inside of it.

Steve didn't hear her, for he was still intrigued by the appearance of his new M&M World camera, which had- no doubt- M&M's residing in it. "I mean, I just don't understand," he said, his eyebrows furrowing together. "How on earth do you get M&M's into a camera? Is there some black magic going on around here?"

Natasha smirks, amused and hands Steve her chocolate milkshake, which he immediately takes a sip from. Once Natasha realizes Steve is distracted, she pulls the camera away from his grip, to which he responds to with a glare.

"A camera is a camera," she explains, holding the camera up to her eye. "Whether or not it holds M&M's is absolutely worth none of our brain power; all it matter: is that it captures the moment. Say cheese."

Steve gives the camera a reluctant smile and Natasha chuckles. "That's the spirit, Cap!"

"It won't be splendid until we take a picture of the both of us," Steve retaliates and Natasha holds the

camera in front of them.

"Smile!"

~.~

Natasha and Steve snapped some more pictures of themselves (including one involving the giant M) in McDonald's once their hunger quota was filled and headed off to their next destination- Disney Store.

Both pairs of eyes shined brightly; never experienced childhoods would be discovered here. The two enter the store and immediately run over to the costumes, trying them on for size.

Natasha sauntered out of the dressing room clad in a Cinderella ball gown, giggling slightly. "I feel like a princess," she whispers, twirling in front of the full length body mirror.

"Because you are," Steve says from inside his dressing room. He then steps out, clad in a Buzz Lightyear costume.

Natasha chortles. "I'm just surprised they have it in your size, given that you're a super soldier."

Steve shrugs. "Maybe I just got lucky. Picture?" he asked, holding up his M&M camera.

Natasha smiles. "Of course."

~.~

The two returned shortly after back to the tower in high sprits.

"That was fun," Steve chuckles, snapping another photo of a smiling Natasha.

Natasha lugged bags of merchandise purchased from various stores during their nightly trek to Times Square. Steve reached out to grab them from her, to which she thanks him with a nod.

"We should do that again next time," Steve chuckles.

Natasha snaps a photo of Steve. "I'm just glad you bought the Buzz Lightyear costume."

"Likewise, Cinderella."

* * *

A/N: So I was insomniac this morning and I wrote this to lull me to sleep. It worked. ^_^

Part two of this: more description into their escapades into the shops: M&M's World, Forever 21, Disney Store.


	25. Disney Store

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**vingt-cinq.**

"You know, I've always wanted to go to Disney Store."

Natasha raises an eyebrow at the super soldier, taking a sip of her chocolate milkshake amusedly. "You haven't been there yet?"

"When you've been asleep for seventy years, you tend to miss a lot," Steve says, stealing a fry from Natasha's side. The spy retaliates by snatching Steve's nuggets, dunking it into his ketchup and popping it into her mouth.

"We'll be sure to take a lot of pictures," Natasha smirks and pockets the camera. "Almost done?"

Steve finished his fries, smiling. "This is truly an all-American meal."

Natasha chuckles. "Well, you are Captain America," she says, standing up and collecting the mess the two made onto a tray.

Steve stands up as well, placing his mess on the tray and takes it from the spy, throwing it into the garbage.

"Shall we?" he says, offering his arm.

Natasha smiled and links her arm into his. "We shall."

The two walk out of McDonald's arm in arm, with Steve, living up to his 40's morals, opens the door for the spy. Steve and Natasha admired the view of the bright 'M' behind them, immediately running back to pose for pictures in front of it.

Once finished, the pair find themselves in the middle of Times Square, peering around for their next activity.

"Where do you wanna go next?" Natasha asked, squeezing the soldier's hand.

Steve points at the giant Disney store, smiling. "Didn't we agree to go there earlier?"

Natasha chuckles and pulls Steve towards the giant Disney store. The two go inside and look around, awed at their surroundings.

"Well, isn't this something?" Steve gapes.

Natasha nods, at a loss for words. Suddenly, her eyes land on the princess costumes, and she bolts, Steve hot on her heels.

The redhead grabs the closest princess costume she could find and rushes into the dressing room whilst Steve picks out a spacesuit outfit from the boy's rack, ducking into the dressing room next to Natasha.

Natasha sauntered out of the dressing room clad in a Cinderella ball gown, giggling slightly. "I feel like a princess," she whispers, twirling in front of the full length body mirror.

"Because you are," Steve says from inside his dressing room. He then steps out, clad in a Buzz Lightyear costume.

Natasha chortles. "I'm just surprised they have it in your size, given that you're a super soldier."

Steve shrugs. "Maybe I just got lucky. Picture?" he asked, holding up his M&M camera.

Natasha smiles. "Of course."

"Strike a pose," Steve whispers, and Natasha obliged, smiling brightly. Steve wraps an arm around the princess, and snaps the photo. Once finished, Steve peers around the store. "Wanna try on some more?"

Natasha bites her lip and twirls around in front of the mirror once again. "No, I'm good," she says. "I'd like to stay a princess."

"Well then," Steve says, taking a costume off the rack and hiding it behind his back. "I'll be right back."

Natasha smiles at her reflection in the mirror, feeling more like a kid than herself at the moment. She twirled around once more, gave herself a curtesy and did a little dance in her heels.

"Oh where oh where could my prince charming be?" she sang to her reflection.

"Right here," Steve's voice pipes behind her and Natasha turns around to see Steve, clad in a Prince Charming get-up.

"Wow, Steve," Natasha smirks, walking towards the soldier with a smile. "You look rather daunting."

Steve blushed. "I thought it would fit the occasion."

"Would you like to dance?" Natasha asks, extending her hand.

"I don't know how to dance," Steve says, casting his eyes down to the floor.

Natasha smiles and grabs his hands. "Don't worry. I can teach you."

* * *

A/N: A little more insightpin what happened during Natasha and Steve's trek to Disney Store. (:


	26. Fix You

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**vingt-six.**

"Sometimes I just want to disappear."

"Nat," Steve says. "Put down the knife."

"Why should I?" she asked. Immediately she drew the knife through her arm, spreading a new gash through her arm. "The world could be better off without a Black Widow; all they do is kill and kill and make the world a more dangerous place to live in. Maybe it would be better if they just all left- if I just left. Everyone would be happy."

"You know that's not true," Clint whispers from the doorway, Tony, Bruce and Thor right behind him.

"You know that's true," Natasha retaliates. "I should end it all now," she says, holding the knife close to her vein on her wrist.

"Natasha," Steve barks, commanding yet concerned. "Put down the knife."

Natasha chuckles humorlessly. "I don't think so," she says, positioning the knife at her vein.

Steve leaped out at the redhead an immediately grabbed the knife from her hands, throwing the handle end towards Hawkeye, who catches it with ease. The soldier holds the spy, pulling her hair away from her face as she sobs, showing all her vulnerability in front of her team mates for the first time.

"Leave me to die," Natasha whimpers, as she is circled by her friends, who pull her into a hug.

"Never," Steve swears, pressing a kiss against her hair.

~.~

Budapest was the beginning and end of all things in Natasha's world.

It's where she was beat, bruised, bested by her old 'friends' from the Soviet program. It's where she first let herself be vulnerable in front of Clint and first developed feelings for her unreciprocated love. It's where she was pushed to her limits.

It's where she first failed.

Supposedly a 'easy mission', Natasha had accepted it. Although Clint was tagging along (and oh, she hated that archer with a passion way back when), she figured she could complete the mission considering that she had been sent after a drug dealer before and given that it seemed eerily similar to her missions assigned by the Soviets: pose as a rich lady, offer up your 'goodies' for erotic appeal, then in the middle, tie him up some how and interrogate, battle, kill by Clint's arrows or whatever Natasha wanted.

It was Natasha's six-point plan; it had been fullproof.

Up until Budapest.

Natasha had completed the first four steps with ease, but the battle stage was... something akin to the Chituari attack. During the interrogation sequence, where the drug lord was scared stiff, a quinjet appeared outside the window and shot a beam of energy at the redhead.

The redhead kept a hold on the drug lord, leaping to the side when he loosened himself out of her right grip and jumped directly out of the window.

The battle proceeded shortly after that, with Natasha jumping after him and finding herself surrounded by some familiar faces.

If it wasn't for Clint, she would've been killed.

Her Soviet friends had been in 'cahoots' with the drug lord and knew all of her weak points. A knife had been pressed to her neck when an arrow came spiraling out from out of nowhere, branching itself in the neck of the knife-holder.

Hell broke loose.

While Clint fought, Natasha crawled to safety, taking aid to her battle wounds.

"What the actual hell, Natasha," Clint says once the battle is over. The redhead looks up and sees the archer glaring ruthlessly at her beaten form. "Given your reputation as Black Widow, I thought you could handle yourself better than that. I guess I was wrong," he says, walking away without offering aid.

She started cutting later that night.

~.~

It became a ritual after that.

For every time she let her guard down, she would angrily jam the knife deep into her arm, one long red gash signifying failure, self-contempt.

It was the only thing that kept her sane.

Then she met Steve Rogers.

He was the epitome of goodness; he was polite, blushed a lot, helped people because he truly wanted to, just not for the heck of it.

He was the one that made her stop cutting for a while, until she developed feelings for him.

She couldn't let herself be vulnerable.

So she let him go.

And the cutting started again.

~.~

_Die already_, a voice whispers in her head, and usually Natasha ignores it for the sake of her team mates, but something was telling her it was time.

Locking the door to her room, the redhead selects her best knife, the knife that many has died by. She thought it would be fitting; dying by the same knife she made her first kill with.

At least she'd know how her victims feel in a matter of minutes.

So she took a deep breath, made the first of many slashes on her arm. She cut deeply, smiling twistedly as the felt the burn of the knife, laughed manically as each drop of blood fell on her white comforter.

She was almost free.

"Natasha!" a scream came from the door. _Steve_. "What do you think you're doing?"

Natasha faced the soldier with a smile on her face. "Isn't it obvious, Cap? I'm going to where I belong."

* * *

A/N: depressed angst.


	27. Swing Dance

Child's Play

**Summary**: Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N**: This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters_**.

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

**_Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing_**.

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer**: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says._

_"It doesn't have to be," he replies._

* * *

**vingt-sept.**

"Are you seriously telling me you don't know how to dance?"

Steve blushed. "Well, with World War 2, I couldn't really find the time to learn how."

Natasha crossed her arms disbelievingly. "Then I guess I'm going to have to do something about it."

Steve raised an eyebrow. "What do you plan on doing with me?"

"You'll see," Natasha says. "Tentonight, roof. Dress nice."

~.~

"Hi, Cap!"

Steve turned around, startled, to see Natasha in a striped dress, black heels, a red ribbon tied around her waist and a red flower in her hair. Steve gaped openly. "Wow, Natasha, you look beautiful."

Natasha looked him up and down with a smile. "You don't look too bad yourself, soldier."

Steve blushed, peering down at the grey suit, blue tie and shiny black loafers that Tony had let him borrow. "Thank you."

Natasha winks and pulls a CD player from behind her back, setting it on the edge of the balcony. "Ready to learn how to dance?"

Steve raised an eyebrow at Natasha, who was standing with her back to the New York skyline. "What type of dance exactly?"

Natasha raised an eyebrow, smirking and suddenly Glenn Miller began playing. She began twisting her hips, twirling around a few times in a solo rendition of the Lindy Hop, much to the delight of the awed super soldier.

Steve's eyes brightened. "Is that In The Mood?"

"It sure is," Natasha says, twirling around once more. She approached the super soldier with a smile, extending her hand. "Let the lesson begin!"

Steve took her hand, smiling brightly. "So how does this start?"

"It's a very energetic dance," Natasha says, moving side to side in a jumping motion. Steve follows suit, moving awkwardly, causing Natasha to laugh.

"Be fluid," she commands. "Imagine my arm is your shield."

Steve immediately thrusts Natasha's arm away from him in a jerking motion and pulls it back roughly.

Natasha chuckles. "A good start there, Steve."

It takes a few more hours, but soon enough, Steve's dancing like a champ much to Natasha's delight. The soldier picks the spy up and flips her over, catching her as In The Mood plays for literally the hundredth time.

As the song finishes, the two stare at each other, both smiling when applause erupts from behind them.

The pair turn around to see Bruce, Tony, Clint and Thor watching, smiles on each Avenger's faces.

"How marvelous you dance, Lady Romanoff!" Thor exclaims, walking over to clap both hero's shoulders. "My Jane could learn many from you."

"To think you didn't know how to dance, Cap," Tony smirks, raising an eyebrow. "Now you're literally dry humping dear Natasha here."

The pair shot the billionaire a death glare, to which Bruce intervened by giving them both a smile. "Can you guys teach me how to that?"

"I'd like to learn how to dance like that to," Clint adds.

Natasha and Steve look at each other and exchanged a smile.

"I think Steve can teach you how."

* * *

A/N: Phew! Angst hour is officially over!


	28. Cookies

Child's Play

**Summary**: Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N**: This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters_**.

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

**_Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing_**.

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer**: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says._

_"It doesn't have to be," he replies._

* * *

**vingt-huit**

(Part II of Chapter Nine)

"You never taught me how to cook."

"Hmm?" Natasha says, nose practically buried in Pride and Prejudice.

"Remember?" Steve says, sitting next to Natasha at the counter. "You said you'd teach me how to cook sometime."

Natasha takes her nose out of her book and raises an eyebrow at the super soldier. "Are you insinuating sometime should be now?"

Steve blushed. "If that's not too much of an inconvenience."

Natasha chuckles, putting her book aside and reaches into a drawer for

two aprons, chucking the star-spangled one to Steve. "Let's make cookies."

"Cookies?" Steve gasps.

Natasha opens a cupboard and pulls out a do-it-yourself cookie making kit, putting it on the counter in front of Steve. "I've had this for a while but I've never had the chance to cook it."

"Well, let's cook it today!" Steve says, clapping his hands. "Where do we start?"

Natasha points to the instructions on the back. "Get a bowl and pour the batter in. Add milk, add eggs, beat, put in a oven-safe bowl, put in oven," she says. "To sum it all off, easy enough."

"Glad you think so," Steve says, completing step one, two and three with relative ease.

Natasha takes the bowl from Steve, laughing. "Wasn't I supposed to teach you how to bake?"

Steve blushed. "Oh, I just wanted to try."

Natasha peers at the batter and smiles. "You did a good job so far! I'll beat the batter, you can preheat the oven to 375 Fahrenheit."

Steve did exactly that as Natasha finished beating the mixture. She poured it into an oven safe bowl, giggling as Steve lifted her up and away from the bowl.

"Nuh-uh-uh," he sang, depositing her by the stove, pouring the remainder of the batter in the bowl. "Let me do something since you're teaching me, non?"

"Okay, fine," Natasha smiles, sitting back on the counter, Pride and Prejudice clenched in her hands. "Show me what you got."

"Okay, so I poured the batter in the bowl," Steve says, gesturing to the bowl, "and I'm going to put it in the oven now."

"Okay, Steve," Natasha chuckles, ad watches Steve do exactly that.

Steve stands there as the 10 minutes are set, and the two have a staring contest as they wait.

~.~

Ding!

Steve blinks.

"I win," Natasha says, triumphant.

Steve rolls his eyes and pulls out the cookies. A delicious aroma erupted from the oven and the pair moans, immediately reaching in for the cookies.

"This is delicious," Steve sighs dreamily.

Natasha moans. "You should cook more often."

* * *

A/N: I feel chapter 26 was disrupting the flow of the up building of their impending relationship. So tell me, should it stay or should it go?

And my first follow-up! Did you guys like it?


	29. Pranks

Child's Play

**Summary**: Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N**: This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters_**.

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

**_Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing_**.

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer**: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says._

_"It doesn't have to be," he replies._

* * *

**vingt-neuf.**

"I am sick and tired of Stark."

Steve let out a frustrated chuckle, peering at Natasha's slimed covered form. "Tell me about it," he said, taking off his trench coat and showing Natasha the ironette outfit he was currently clad in. Natasha gaped silently.

"Tony replaced all the outfits in my closet with this," Steve sighs. "I don't quite like his taste in apparel."

"Doesn't suit you," Natasha notes, running a hand through her slimed-hair. "We should make him pay."

Steve raised an eyebrow. "Pay how?"

Natasha smirked. "Play at his own game."

~.~

"So you want to out prank the prank master?" Clint chuckles, eying the two disgruntled heroes amusedly.

"Of course!" Natasha growls. "Do you not see what I look like?" she asks, gesturing to her slime-covered body.

"Do you see how I look?" Steve reiterates, opening the trench coat. Clint winced at sight of Steve's ironette clad body. "I don't need to see that, thanks."

Steve closes his trench coat, sighing. "Stark has overstepped the boundaries. There must be vengeance."

"You're his second-in-command prankster! You should know the details, Barton," Natasha sighs, sending him her patented Widow's glare.

Clint chuckles and pulls something out of his back pocket, handing it to his partner. Natasha grabs it and raises an eyebrow menacingly.

"Pranking for Dummies?" Natasha hissed.

Clint held up his hands innocently. "That book helped me become second in command. It is every pranker's bible; do not tarnish it in any way."

"Fine, fine," Natasha says, putting it into Steve's trench coat pocket. She patted the Captain's back, smiling. "Let's get started," she says, guiding him out of the archer's room.

Steve blushed. "Uh... I think we should clean up first. I'm still in this skimpy outfit."

Natasha winked. "Great idea."

~.~

The pair decided to take things slow.

They began with simple pranks, trying to toy with the billionaire before they got into more serious pranks.

But it didn't seem to affect the billionaire at all- in fact, he seemed amused at the sentiment, crediting it all to Clint as exemplified by the hateful yet impressed looks he shot him.

Once seeing another look being directed the archer's way during Steve and Natasha's salt in the water prank, Natasha has had enough.

"We should move on to bigger pranks now," Natasha whispers as Tony throws pop tart bits at Bruce.

Steve chuckles. "What do you have in mind?"

~.~

_Natasha (4:32 pm): I'm thinking something big- something totally out of the box! Something that would make Stark not mess with us ever again. Maybe paint 'Tony is a douche' on every known billboard in New York? We shall sign our names under it- Widow and Cap!_

_Steve (4:34 pm): Start slow, Nat. Don't jump in right away; start off small yet big._

_Natasha (4:35 pm): We started small and he didn't know it was us. We must make ourselves known._

_Steve (4:38 pm): I said small yet big; as in, we must do something that would be burned into the bastard's memory and drop subtle hints about our identity of the prankers. Then do the full out exposé in the extreme prank._

_Natasha (4:40 pm): That's.. actually not a bad idea. Let's plan our prank. So if step one is starting small, step two must be taking leaps and bounds. Small yet big, step two here we come!_

~.~

Step two was rather a fulfilling experience.

The pair of superheroes had emptied out Tony's wine bottles, pouring the liquor out into the streets of New York city and refilled them with water.

To add insult to injury, the two had plastered stickers of hideous photos of Iron Man, especially of one of the Hulk cuddling the suit of armour to throw the self-proclaimed billionaire, playboy, genius, philanthropist off.

It worked.

~.~

_Natasha (8:47 pm): MY ROOM NOW._

_Steve (8:51 pm): Why?_

_Natasha (8:52 pm): JARVIS pulled up a live feed of Tony in the kitchen; about to open liquor cupboard! Hurry!_

_Steve (8:55 pm): Okay, coming!_

~.~

"I don't know who did this," Tony swore ferociously to the ceiling, liquor bottles smashed everywhere. "Or what your motivation is, but when I find you, I will get you."

~.~

Natasha and Steve shared a high five.

"Time for the extreme pranks?" Steve asks, leafing through Pranks for Dummies.

Natasha smiles maliciously. "Absolutely."

~.~

Natasha's idea of an extreme prank was quite extreme.

Aided by Pranks for Dummies (and a very pissed-off Clint- Tony had turned his detonating arrows into ones that would burst out into songs from High School Musical instead of exploding- it had caused quite the uproar at SHIELD), Natasha and Steve had secured an order of common household spiders as well as an abundance of American flags to put in Tony's bed (sans Pepper; Natasha and Steve both shared a fondness for the blonde assistant) while he was sleeping.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Steve whispers as the pair empty the items onto Tony's bed. The soldier writes a note to be seen on Tony's counter, a worried expression overtaking his face.

"It's revenge," Natasha smirks. "Tony should know who he's dealing with. Besides I'm sure he'll scream like a little girl, which is a reward in itself."

~.~

Her prediction was confirmed with a scream.

"STEVE ROGERS!" the first shriek erupts throughout the intercom. "NATASHALIE RUSHMANOFF. YOU WILL PAY."

Steve sat up in bed, a smile cracking onto his face.

~.~

_Steve (8:21 am): Did you hear that?_

_Natasha (8:23 am): Guess he won't be messing with us anymore._

_Steve (8:25 am): You know it! Aha, I wonder if he read the note..._

_Natasha (8:26 am): Of course! Or else he wouldn't have yelled out our names._

_Steve (8:28 am): Want to go for lunch to celebrate?_

_Natasha (8:29 am): Sure. I'd be honored to._

* * *

A/N: PROMPTS PROMPTS PROMPTS I NEED PROMPTS! If you want a chapter on Steve and Natasha about anything, please leave a review and tell me! Thank you!

Prompt: MysticFantasy- Steve and Natasha pranking Tony.

89 reviews hit today! Thank you!


	30. Of Trust and Thunderstorms

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**trente.**

"Looks like Thor's mad again."

Steve drops his sketchbook and pencil, startled as he sees Natasha at his door, visibly shaking.

"Nat?" Steve asks, prodding Natasha to come into his room. The spy does exactly that, closing and locking the door behind her.

Natasha runs and sits next to Steve on his bed, to which Steve immediately wraps his arms around her shaking form. "I've never seen you like this before," he says, placing a kiss to her forehead.

"I hate thunder," Natasha whimpers. "

"Oh, Nat," Steve whispers. "Why?"

Natasha hesitated.

"I won't tell," Steve says, running the pad of his thumb on her cheek.

"The night I was taken away from my parents," Natasha begins, comforted by his touch. "There was a thunderstorm. We were on our way home from my ballet recital and decided to walk since our quaint little apartment was close to the theatre instead of taking the bus."

"We were just passing an alleyway, laughing; my dad had just given me flowers and a tiara and was fixing my tutu when a gunshot rang out. I find," she takes a shuddering breath, "my mother on the floor, a gunshot to her chest, and my dad stays still for a moment and he leans down and tells me to run."

Steve, sensing what was next, hugged Natasha closely, ghosting his lips over her hair.

"So I run," she says. "And I hear someone running behind me but I stop because I hear a gunshot and see my dad lying on the ground, his bloodied hand intertwined with my mother's."

"I honestly can't take thunderstorms," Natasha whimpers, tears flowing down her cheeks. "It makes me miss my family."

Steve just sighs and kisses her cheek. "You're not alone."

~.~

Later, Steve asks, "Why did you talk to me about that?"

"Because I trust you," is her response.


	31. Summer Loving

Child's Play

**Summary**: Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N**: This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters_**.

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

**_Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing_**.

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer**: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says._

_"It doesn't have to be," he replies._

* * *

**trente-et-un.**

"Last day of summer!"

"How fascinating," Clint snarks. "Why don't you come closer and tell me more?"

"Hah, I saw that meme, so I'm not intimidated to say the least," Tony smirks.

"Whoa, you actually know what intimidated means?I'm surprised," Natasha pipes in.

Tony gave the two spies a glare. "Well, I was about to offer all of the Avengers a trip to my Californian beach house to celebrate summer's end, but I guess since you're so mean, I think I should re-"

"-wait, a beach house?" Natasha interrupts, raising an eyebrow. "Is this beach house that pretentious mansion in the heart of Los Angeles that I worked in when I was Natalie?"

"Incorrect, Agent," Tony days in his best impression of Director Fury. "This is an actual beach house on the shore. It's actually too small for my taste but if all the Avengers stay there, I'll be willing to go."

"How small are we talking?" asked Clint, precariously raising an eyebrow.

Tony shrugged, looking embarrassed. "Two stories, six bedrooms, three bathrooms. One kitchen, dining area and living room, one 42 inch television and one balcony and patio."

Clint and Natasha gaped. "That's not really the type of house I would've pegged you for."

"It's Pepper's type of style so I got it," Tony says. "So what do you say? It's three am, and five hours from New York to Los Angeles. You in?"

"Did you inform the others?" Natasha asks.

"Didn't need to," Bruce says, suitcase rolling behind him, Thor and Steve alongside with their own respective suitcases. "Jarvis informed us the minute you were talking about it."

"Good ol' Jarvis," Tony beams admiringly at the ceiling.

"Your suitcase is already packed and ready, sir," Jarvis says. "They are currently in your room alongside your Iron Man Armour given that there is no prototypes at the Newport Beach home. Two charged arc reactors reside within both of your personal suitcases."

"You done good, Jarvis," Tony says, reaching out to give Jarvis' robotic hand a high-five.

"Thank you, sir," Jarvis responds.

Natasha and Clint look at each other. "Guess we're going to have to pack," she sighs, running a hand through her hair.

Before Clint could offer to help, Steve drops his suitcase unceremoniously onto the couch. "I can help."

Natasha rewards his efforts with a smile. "Thanks, Steve."

"You're welcome," he says, and Natasha walks over to link her arm in his as the two depart for what was presumably Natasha's bedroom.

(To pack, to pack, Clint reminded himself, noticing the sparkle in Natasha's eyes.)

Thor, Bruce, Tony and Clint watched as the two walk away, silence overtaking the quartet as they tried to process what had just happened.

Then, "I should pack too."

"I should book a plane," Tony says.

"You do that," Bruce responds.

~.~

The ragtag team of heroes booked a flight for departure at JFK for 4:30 am and were expected for arrival in Los Angeles at 6:45 am PST.

Due to the early time, the team slept on the plane, except for one sleep-deprived Tony. The billionaire had his eyes set on Steve and Natasha, who were literally cuddling on the seats, holding onto each other for warmth.

Tony smiled and snapped a picture of the two with his phone.

He thinks he'll keep the picture, just in case.

~.~

"This is actually... peaceful," Steve remarks as the ragtag team of heroes reach Tony's (Pepper's, he counters) beach house.

"Isn't it?" Tony smiles, opening the door for the team.

It was currently 7:45 in the morning LA time due to the three hour advance between the time zones of the big Apple and the sunshine city. Natasha was barely coherent; Clint was either excited or knocked up on sleeping pills which judging by his posture and attitude, was the latter. Bruce looked exhausted whilst Thor just stated happily at the interior of the house in his usual-Thor like way.

"What magnificent quarters you have procured, Friend Stark!" Thor booms happily; Happy Hogan winced from his position in front of Thor. "I have not known that you are one for quaint little quarters!"

"Well, I guess miracles do happen," Tony shrugs, not even bothering to say that it was Pepper's because he was thisclose to passing out. Tossing the keys to the counter, he bid a farewell to Happy and began to point out which rooms belonged to who. Once finished, he crawled into his room, ready to reboot.

He couldn't help but notice Natasha and Steve go into the same room.

~.~

Smash!

"Thor, how many times have I told you that you are not to smash the coffee cups if you would like another?"

Natasha allowed herself a small smile. Good morning.

The redhead craned her head to the right, checking the time on the clock. 9:44 am. Natasha smiled, stretched her arms and sat up, yawning.

Only to find Steve curled up to her on her left.

Inwardly, Natasha freaks out. She didn't think she slept with him, due to the state of clothing she is in, but she had actually let someone other than Clint lie with her in bed.

The redhead contemplates waking the soldier up but sighs and walks out.

Screw it.

~.~

Tony had suggested that the Avengers go swimming as soon as breakfast had concluded; it had gone two against four (for vs against), and needless to say, they needed to do something fast to appease the currently pouting billionaire and god.

"We'll swim, we promise," Bruce says. "Just not now considering that sun is not at its peak yet and the water will be very cold. It might not bode well with the other guy."

"Agreed," Natasha chimed in, without taking her eyes off the tourist guide laid in front of her.

Steve bites his lip. "Why don't we split up? We could go in pairs and do what we would like to do and then go swimming after?"

"That's... actually a good idea," Tony says. "Keep talking, Cap."

"We should go into separate groups or if you'd like, individual," Steve says. "Since Thor and you would like to go swimming, you can swim and I'd like to explore the city, so I'll go individually."

"Nuh-uh, Captain," Natasha chimes in, putting the tourist book into her back pocket. "I'd like to explore Newport Beach too, so I'm coming."

"Then that leaves you and me," Clint says, pointing to Bruce. "Wanna go to the beach and try to win that sandcastle competition?"

Bruce smiles and high-gives Clint. "You betcha!"

"So Thor and Tony, Clint and Bruce and Natasha and myself," Steve says, checking the time. 11:01 am. "We should all meet back here by five o'clock so we could still go swimming before the sun goes down."

"Roger that, Rogers," Tony smirks.

"Alrighty then," Steve says. "Have fun and stay safe. Keep guns and weapons at hand."

"Do not worry, Friend Rogers," Thor says, hugging his hammer. "Mjolnir is always with me."

"Great," Steve says. "Avengers Disassemble and call anytime should there be an emergency."

"Roger that, Rogers," Tony repeats, rushing into his bedroom to get his swim shorts.

Natasha turned to Steve, a smile overtaking his face. "I'm in the mood for Japanese."

~.~

"Are you sure we're going the right direction?"

"Positive, positive!" Natasha exclaimed. "I am a spy, I know where we are just by my mind."

"Do you even know what the name of this Japanese restaurant is?" Steve asks hysterically.

"Tempura Corner," she responds and sure enough when the pair turned left, they were met with the big flashing sign proclaiming just that. The pair walk slowly to the restaurant, confused at the lack of cars in front of the restaurant.

"I think it's closed," Steve says, biting his lip.

"Nonsense," Natasha says, walking over to the door. "It can't possibly be-"

"- we're sorry for the inconvenience," Steve reads off the paper attached to the door, effectively cutting off Natasha, "but due to shortage of staff, we are closed on Monday, September 3rd, 2012 for Labour Day."

"Well, that sucks," Natasha sighs, looking around the lot for more food options.

"DQ!" Steve suddenly blurts out and Natasha turns to Steve, to which he directs her attention to a Dairy Queen with a pointed finger. "Can we go there instead?"

Natasha pouts at the sushi shop, looking like she wanted to kill the sign. She sighs, relenting. "Sure."

Steve immediately takes her hand and rushes across the parking lot to the Dairy Queen, flinging open the doors excitedly.

The restaurant was nearly empty, save for a few employees who seemed to be dreading the day and teenagers eating their blizzards nosily. Natasha eyed the menu, weighing her options on what she was going to get.

Steve, on the other hand, was already decided.

"I'd like one chocolate coated Fudge Brownie Temptation Waffle Bowl Sundae and regular fries," he says, forking over the $20 bill.

Natasha chuckles and moves forwards once Steve places his order. "Small strawberry banana smoothie."

The two receive their orders and sit down at a table, and Natasha watches amusedly as Steve digs right into his Waffle Bowl Sundae.

"You have something there," Natasha says, licking her thumb and wiping a morsel of chocolate sauce and whipped cream off Steve's cheeks. Steve blushed and Natasha winked, laying out napkins and pouring the ketchup onto them for the fries.

Natasha dipped a fry into the ketchup as Steve continued to devour his sundae, moaning delightfully at the taste. Natasha stifles a giggle.

"You know, now would be a perfect time to take a picture," she says, eyes sparkling. "Do you still have that M&M's World camera from the trek to Times Square last month?"

Steve pulls it out of his pocket and hands it to Natasha, to which she responds to by immediately snapping a photo of him eating the sundae.

"Hey!" he says, checking his reflection in the napkin dispenser.

"Sorry," Natasha winks.

"C'mere you, let's take pictures together," Steve says, and Natasha rolls her eyes but obliged. She holds the camera lens in front of their faces and laughs.

"Smile!"

Steve wrapped his arm around Natasha and the two smiled brightly at the camera.

After a multitude of pictures, Natasha checks the time. 4:34 pm. "Steve!" she exclaimed; the soldier was busy procuring iced water for the two of them. "4:34 pm!"

Steve, alarmed, grabs the water from the cashier's grip and bolted to the spy's side. "We should go right now. Did you finish that?"

Natasha shrugged impatiently. "No, I don't want it."

Steve tsked. "That's a waste of money."

"Whatever," Natasha sighs. "We don't want to be late. It would be a shame to be considering you're the captain and all."

"Point taken, let's go."

~.~

By the time the two arrived, all four Avengers were already sitting around the television, eating steak that Tony had pulled off the grill.

"Sup, Capsicle, Natashalie," Tony says by way of greeting. "I trust your date was good?"

"It wasn't a date," the pair hiss simultaneously.

"Whatever," Tony smirks. "Just eat your goddamned steak and sit down to watch the smurfs with us."

Bruce shoots the pair a lopsided smile. "Smurfs are cool."

"That's why we won that contest," Clint says, eliciting a high five from the scientist.

"Midgard has the most marvelous oceans," Thor says absentmindedly, his eyes locked on the smurfs parading through Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays' apartment. "I shall bring my family here one day."

"Oh please don't bring Loki," Tony sighs.

Natasha and Steve each grab a steak from the plate lying on the dining table and sit down next to their friends. "Did this just start?"

"Yep," Clint answers. "Merely five minutes ago."

"Fuuuuuun," Natasha croaks, taking a bite out of her steak.

"So no swimming?" Steve asks innocently.

Shh!

~.~

By the time the Smurfs movie finishes, it's approximately 8 at night.

"O yonder, where shall I find these creatures? I must procure one for myself!" Thor exclaims.

Tony rolls his eyes. "Ask that Peyo dude. I'm sure you'll find him up where ever you are."

Thor shoots a crass glare at Tony.

"We didn't get to go swimming," Bruce says, dejected.

"I planned for this," Tony says. "How do you feel about a little night swimming?"

"Night swimming?" Natasha raises an eyebrow.

"It gives us a perfect view of the labour day fireworks," Tony reasons. "The water will be warm, I'll be sure of it."

"I didn't go swimming, so I'm in," Clint says, and Bruce, Steve and Natasha nod their assent.

"Up for another round, Goldilocks?" Tony asks, his eyes locked on Thor.

Thor nods. "Indeed, Friend Stark!"

"Alright! Then let's get changed."

~.~

Natasha and Steve lounge back on the beach chairs as they watched the four heroes parade into the water.

"This seems nice," she says, peering up at the sky.

Steve smiles at the stars littered across the so-called black abyss.

"It is indeed."

"Still have your camera with you?" Natasha asks.

"Of course," Steve answers and Natasha immediately snaps a photo of the sky.

"This has been one of the best summers I've had," Natasha says once the camera is back in Steve's hands. "Our late night trek to Times Square, escapade to Central Park as well as playing on the playground and making me feel like a kid again really made this summer stand out to me," she says, smiling. "If it wasn't for you, this would've been another boring summer, so thank you."

Steve presses a kiss to Natasha's cheek. "You're welcome," he says, smiling. "Now, we should probably get into the water before the fireworks start so we could have a better view."

"Is the camera waterproof?" Natasha asked, a sparkle in her eyes.

"Of course," Steve responds, pulling off his shirt, leaving him in just his swim shorts. Natasha pulls off her sundress, sporting a black bikini.

"Good," she responds. "Last one to the ocean is a rotten egg," she says, bolting for the waves.

The pair rush into the ocean head to head as the fireworks start up above them, lighting the sky with the magnificent array of colours. Natasha and Steve stop their trek into the ocean to stare up with a smile, awe lighting both faces.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Steve breathes.

Natasha smirks and immediately splashes water toward the Captain. Steve, surprised, peers over to see Natasha giggling and he jumps in right next to her, splashing her with water as well.

"It's on," he whispers.

And so it was, for as the fireworks exploded above them, the two heroes played with each other instead, closing Summer 2012 with a literal bang.

* * *

A/N: SCHOOL IS TOMORROW FOR ME ASDFGHJKL AND I TYPED THIS CHAPTER BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE TOO AWESOME. So, now since school is here, I might only update once a week. Which is tres sad pour moi. But keep holding on, and Hakuna Matata! This story will still be operating. No hiatuses, I promise.

As well, there's a lot of things that should be italized here, but I'll look it over when it's not 11:09 pm on a school night.

G'night (or good morning wherever you are)!

~Jazzy(;

P.S. Goodbye Summer 2012! You were amazing to me! (:


	32. Fanboying

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**trente-deux.**

"What do you fangirl about?"

Steve jumped, startled as he turned around to face a smirking Tony (really, when was he ever not smirking?) leaning against the kitchen counter. "Excuse me?"

"Y'know, fangirl," Tony takes a seat and watches Steve cook a pot of Mac and Cheese. "Obsess over, possibly would jump?"

Steve stares incredulously at the billionaire, who kept staring at him with that coy expression."I don't know if you've noticed, Stark, but I am not a girl."

Tony rolls his eyes. "Fine. What do you fanboy about?"

"I don't have time to do this 'fanboying'," Steve sighs, turning off the stove and pouring the macaroni into a bowl.

"Fanboying?" a feminine voice chirped from the elevator, and Steve's heart literally stopped at the sound.

"Hey, Nat," Steve greeted the spy without turning around, to which Natasha responded with a slight smile.

"Steve," she greeted back, taking an apple out of the fridge.

Tony watched the scene with apparent amusement, peering at Steve's dilated pupils and Natasha's nearly-blushing figure as she left the room. "No time for fanboying, huh?"

* * *

A/N: Hey, pals! I've figured out my update date, each Wednesday and Friday! (: As well, thanks for getting to me to ONE HUNDRED AND ONE reviews- oh gosh, I really wanted to do an epic chapter for you guys since you all are all epic but I'm working on it, based on today's events of my Spirit Day at school (oh and trust me, it will be epic believe me). I've taken all your prompts into consideration and am working on them right now! Solo Missions and Breakfast Routines will be coming up shortly. (;

Thank you guys for everything. You make my days brighter. (;

~Jazzy(;


	33. Bouncy Houses

Child's Play

**Summary**: Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N**: This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters_**.

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

**_Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing_**.

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer**: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says._

_"It doesn't have to be," he replies._

* * *

**trente-trois.**

"Can you remind me why you put a bouncy house in the middle of the road?"

Tony gives Natasha a coy smile and jumps on said bouncy house. "I'm Tony Stark. Expect the unexpected."

"Don't you think it's rather childish?" inquired Natasha, quirking her head to the side. "Especially of someone of your reputation and age?"

Tony sighs and jumps off. "Just be thankful we're not in New York or else we'd be run over by cars."

"Yay for Avengers mansion, then," Natasha snickers. "I suppose owning a pretentious mansion in Malibu does have its perks."

Tony just smirks and heads back into the mansion, murmuring about a hot dog.

As he leaves, Natasha eyes the bouncy castle warily, taking note of the fact that it was empty due to the lack of kids in the rich Malibu neighborhood.

Natasha bit her lip, feeling a pull towards the object. Looking both ways to ensure that she was alone, the redhead climbed on and steadied herself.

"The point of the bouncy house is to jump," she mumbled to herself, wincing as the bouncy house shifted due to her displacing her weight.

"So why aren't you jumping?"

Natasha raised an eyebrow and turned to face Steve, impressed. "You know, not many people can sneak up on me like that."

"I must be real special then," he chuckles and climbed into the bouncy castle.

Natasha winced, trying to get her balance steady as the air displaced itself due to Steve's bulk form. "I can't balance well on this," Natasha grimaces.

"The point of a bouncy house is not to stay balanced," he says, grasping her hands. "I've seen you do flips and various other gimmicks during practice; this is the perfect place to do them. I mean, c'mon- you're the Black Widow, I bet you've done flips on inflated surfaces before."

"Air mattresses, but not on Bouncy Houses," Natasha sighs.

"That's the same," Steve says. "Now jump! Execute your prima ballerina skills- point your toes!"

Natasha snickers amusedly albeit somewhat nervously and follows the Captain's instructions (and really, when does she ever not?). Bending her knees, the redhead leapt, bursting momentum to the sky. Steve still held onto her hands, and he jumped along with her with a smile on his face.

And suddenly, Natasha found herself enjoying it. She let go of Steve's hands and finally engaged in a front flip, letting out a rare giggle as she completed it.

"Now we're talking," Steve says and mimics the spy.

The two bounce around together, elated at the fact that they were acting like children once more since fate had given them a chance to back then at Central Park.

As Natasha spinned, twirled and jumped along with Steve, there was only one thing going through her mind:

_I guess it's alright to act like a child after all._

* * *

A/N: WROTE THIS ON A BOUNCY HOUSE THANK YOU BLOCK PARTY PEOPLE.

Love you all! (;


	34. Of Love and Hope

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**trente-quatre.**

"Nat, stop that!"

Natasha dropped her highlighter, turning around to face Steve. Holding her hands up to convey innocence, she raised an eyebrow as the Captain's glance became redirected to her arm, a panicked expression appearing on his face.

"Were you mutilating yourself?" he exclaimed, his eyes tracing the pink highlighter lines on her wrist.

Natasha had the good graces to look baffled for a moment and then let out a chuckle. "No, I was just drawing."

"Forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't that the function of paper?" Steve asks, gently grabbing Natasha's wrist. He studied the drawing on her wrist confusedly. "What's this?"

"That is a heart, cap," Natasha replies, picking up a blue highlighter and completed the remainder of the heart, proceeding to color it in. She then wrote 'love' and 'hope' in big letters across her wrist.

Catching Steve's curious glance, Natasha quirked a smile and began to explain. "Today is Suicide Awareness Day," she says. "It's customary for people to write the word love on your wrist on September 10th each year to show support for this cause."

Steve grabs a highlighter from the desk and begins doing the same on his wrist, creating a masterpiece of hearts and stars all in a matter of minutes. The redhead stares incredulously at the soldier, who blushed good naturedly as he added the word hope as well.

"So why do you support this cause?" he asks as he finishes drawing. Natasha peers at his masterpiece, smiling slightly. Making eye contact, she bit her lip bash fully. "We need people to protect."

Steve nodded, tracing a finger over Natasha's drawing. He hummed appreciatively. "You could be an artist in another life," he says, tracing the heart.

Natasha blushed. "Thanks."

Steve traced hope and a thought struck him. "Is this for 9/11 tomorrow?"

Natasha nods. "Yes."

Steve quirks a smile. "Well, it's a good thing that you've showing respect to the victims. I issue thanks by means of the American people; I am Captain America after all."

"Noted," Natasha says. "Now, c'mon, why don't we go to Japadog? I hear they have a new special."

"Sounds good," the redhead says, and Natasha links her arm into his.

As the two skedaddle out of Stark Tower, a question comes into Steve's mind.

"Why did you write the word love on your wrist if you think love is for children?"

Natasha paused.

Then,

"I could make an exception for today."

* * *

A/N: 19% iPhone battery, boredom due to waiting at dance for a long period of time and a mother currently nagging me for numbers about a locksmith and this was born.

116 reviews; I love you all! (:

& Suicide Awareness Day was yesterday; 9/11 today- a minute of silence wherever you are for the victims who were directly and indirectly affected.


	35. Dive Bar Kerfuffles

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**trente-cinq.**

"Wanna go out for a drink?"

Steve raised an eyebrow. "Tony, you know I can't get drunk."

"Midgardian spirits do little to get me intoxicated," Thor booms.

"I wouldn't want to risk the other guy," Bruce says meekly.

"Don't feel like it," Natasha and Clint chimed simultaneously.

Tony rolled his eyes. "It's the end of summer; we should be partying right now. Don't be like Captain-I've-Got-A-Stick-Up-My-Arse."

Steve frowned. "I don't appreciate that wording, Stark."

Tony waved him off. "Let loose! We had a miniature break and now the summer's ending! We should go get some drinks or even pastries for you people with sticks up your-"

"- we get it," the quintet responded sharply.

Tony held up his hands innocently. "I know a dive bar. Middle of nowhere, recluse, perfect for our thirteen-foot rage monster," he says, clapping Bruce on the back. "Drinks, non-alcoholic drinks, pastries, any coffee goer's wet dream. There's also karaoke for the secret boy band lover."

"Karaoke?" Natasha asked, masking her excitement. Clint shot a lopsided smile at the spy, for only he knew about her secret obsession since their mission to Japan; Natasha had challenged multiple people to a karaoke battle and ended up winning a vast supply of Japanese vodka.

"Yes, Agent Rushmanoff, there's karaoke," Tony says, to which Natasha responds by sticking her tongue out. "So what do you say? Are you in for the best Avengers bar outing of the summer?"

Natasha bit her lip; she really wanted to go for karaoke. Fortunately, the archer sensed Natasha's desperation. "I'll go."

"I'll go too," Natasha chimes in immediately.

"I'm in," Steve says softly, his eyes locked on Natasha.

Bruce and Thor looked at each other and quietly nod their heads in agreement.

Tony smiled. "Alrighty then! Tonight we'll go to El barra de barra!"

"What a name," Clint snarks and Natasha smirks, once again eliciting another look from Steve.

~.~

"When you said the middle of nowhere, you weren't kidding," Steve says, looking around.

Bruce climbed out of the van, smiling peacefully at the silent countryside around them. "This is my type of area."

"Be thankful," Tony huffed, getting out of the driver's seat. "When Tony Stark drives you places, he must really, really care about you."

Natasha pressed a kiss to his cheek. "We really appreciate it."

Tony waved it off. "I'm not down for this wishy-washiness. Let's get drunk!" he says, running into the bar.

The quintet follows and almost immediately, drinks are being shoved into their hands. Steve takes a seat at a table near the stage and watches as Clint and Natasha share a bottle, wincing at the aftertaste it gave. The pair put the bottle down on the bar and Natasha linked arms with the archer, gesturing to the stage excitedly.

Steve grabbed a wine glass off a waitress's waiting tray, seeing red at the evident affection between the two assassins.

~.~

Sensing Steve's unease, the archer shrugs his way out of Natasha's grip, trying to ignore both Natasha's confused glance and Steve's harsh glare.

"I think someone wants to see you," he whispers, nudging the redhead to the table the soldier was currently occupying.

Natasha eyes Steve with a smile, to which he responds by a small wave. Clint nudges Natasha towards the spy. "Go em him, tiger!"

Ignoring this statement, Natasha walks to the table the soldier occupied, a smile plastered on her face. "Hi there, Cap. Mind if I sit with you?"

"Sure," is his response and Natasha sits, taking a sip of Steve's wine glass.

"Phew," she says, crinkling her nose. "This is strong."

"I have to at least make an attempt to get drunk," he says, gently grabbing it from the redhead's hand and gulps the glass down.

Natasha raises an eyebrow but choses not to comment. "Are you alright? You seem quite... angsty."

Steve grabs another glass off the table next to them and it's so un-Captain-y that Natasha almost let her jaw hit the floor. Keeping her composure, she watched as Steve downed that glass and reached for another, not taking into account the glare of the burly man occupying that table.

(Natasha's already fingering her gun.)

"I'm fine," Steve bit, his normally bright baby blues turning stormy. "Why don 't you go back to Clint? I don't think you even want to be with me anyway, you being a Russian and all."

Natasha watches the Captain drink stoically for a moment, and suddenly Steve feels guilty as he sees hurt flash through her face for a second. "Nat-"

"-maybe you're right," she says. "Russians and Americans don't mix together, I get it. It's a good thing Clint's a mix between German and Irish- guess you don't like that either huh?"

"Nat," he says again, but she's already gone, heels clicking away.

Steve groaned, putting his head between his hands.

"What the hell did I just do?"

* * *

A/N: I owe all of you guys an apology!

For the ending to this chapter and of course my lack of updates lately. The past few weeks have been filled with a whirlwind of events for me and many projects had been assigned and I needed to spend the time that I normally allot for writing into channeling my focus with these projects. So far, I have two still on my agenda but at 11:54 pm I found time which is of the essence for me because you guys are too amazing! I mean, we're at 125 reviews right now! 28 Favourites and 46 followers. To each and everyone of you who make the time to do these things, thank you so much! You make my heart feel super happy!

& I'm sorry if this note doesn't make sense but it's pree late so désolée.

Anyways, keep calm and carry on because THE AVENGERS DVD IS OUT TODAY I CAN JUST IMAGINE MY TUMBLR FEED/AVENGERS FANFICTION ARCHIVE.

Good night or good morning! If you have school sleep!

~ Jazzy(;

P.S. part two of this is coming up soon. This was originally supposed to be chapter 30 but oh well you have it now. (:


	36. Of Brooding and Black Coffee

Child's Play

**Summary**: Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N**: This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

As well, since school is coming up in a week or so, this is my attempt at trying to get back into the 'writing scene' for Language Arts, considering I haven't been writing frequently.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters_**.

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

**_Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing_**.

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer**: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says._

_"It doesn't have to be," he replies._

* * *

**trente-six.**

"Pondering the mysteries of life, I see?"

Natasha sighs and turns her back on the New York Skyline, eyeing the Captain with a raised eyebrow. "Maybe. What is it to you?"

"A hot beverage made by yours truly," Steve says in reply and closes the balcony door behind him, holding out a cup of coffee to the redhead whilst clutching his own cup of hot chocolate to his chest.

"Black Coffee?" Natasha asks, smiling cheekily.

Steve blushed. "We've been coffee buddies for a while now."

"That's sweet," the spy responded, walking over to press a kiss to his cheek. She took the coffee from his waiting hands and the pair's attention becomes diverted to the bright skyline.

For a few moments, the soldier and the spy stood in silence, sipping from their respective cups.

Then,

"How does it feel?"

"How does what feel?" Steve asks.

"Dying and coming to life again," she states, looking into his eyes.

Steve stared back, but Natasha could detect a faint wince overcoming her features. "It's... disheartening," he chuckled darkly, ripping his gaze away from the spy. "Back in the 1940s, I belonged. I had Peggy and Bucky, I wasn't technologically-inept and people looked up to me as a hero, not teased me because there's apparently something wrong with my butt."

Natasha bites back a smile. "It's quite the opposite, actually."

The Captain inhales. "I can't be a hero for everyone in this age because I don't understand it. I wish I died like I should've when that plane crashed."

"Don't say that," Natasha said fiercely, drawing back the Captain's gaze. "You may be from the 1940s but that doesn't mean you don't belong. You're an amazing leader, have awesome combat skills and you're ridiculously talented at drawing."

Steve opens his mouth to reinstate his brooding mood, but Natasha cuts him off with a swift glare.

"Don't you dare berate your drawing skills," she warned. "A wise man once said that Imagination is Timeless. You may be the man out of time but that doesn't mean that time has run out for you to belong."

* * *

A/N: I wrote this in LA class for y'all- which explains the Walt Disney quote at the end. I apologize for not updating a lot!


	37. Musical Nights

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**trente-sept.**

"So this is how Captain America spends his free time, huh?"

Said Captain nods, a smile creeping onto his face. "I've always drabbled quite a bit in the performing arts."

Natasha raises an eyebrow. "A bit?" she asks, gesturing to the guitar in the Captain's hands. "That riff I heard you play earlier cannot be '_a bit'_."

"What can I say, my mother was a great musician," he replies, doing his best impersonation of Tony's pompous smirk. Caught off guard, Natasha began to laugh. Steve smiled along with her, shifting over so the spy could have leg room beside him along the ledge.

For a moment, silence spread between the two, save for the ongoing traffic below the pair.

Then,

"So what brings you here to the balcony?"

Natasha shrugged. "Can't a woman go out and see the natural wonders of the city she lives in?"

"Not a valid reason, Ms. Romanoff," he replies mock-sternly, making the spy scoff.

"Everything I say is valid," she retorts.

"Ridiculous," he replies, starting to play a complicated riff on his guitar, completely silencing the convo as Nat stared, enamoured. Catching this, the Captain quirked a smile.

"What I like about music is that when it hits you, you don't feel pain."

* * *

**A/N: **-hides-

Okay, so it's been more than a month since I updated last. But I do have a few entries written however I really am in need of some prompts. So if you have a prompt, feel free to message me/drop a review. Thanks a dozen! (:

~ Jazzy/Jazzi, whatever you wanna call me. (;


	38. Late Night Angst

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**trente-huit.**

Natasha awoke to a loud bang.

Startled, the assassin drew her gun from under her pillow, pointing it in the direction of the crash.

A... wall?

A rush of concern coursed through Natasha's body for Steve was the occupant of the room next to hers.

Her blood ran cold as she pondered the implications of what was going on- could an intruder be present on the premises? Although Stark's security was the best in the world, Natasha knew it had its chinks. Therefore, the assassin double checked her door to see if it was locked and climbed into the ventilation system leading into Steve's room, guns and ammunition hidden in her pajamas.

What she saw was something she did not expect.

Standing in the middle of the room was Steve, looking sweaty and just plain exhausted. His room was literally in tatters; his closet door was ripped off, clothes strewn haphazardly around the floor, his bed turned over and broken. Natasha watched with morbid fascination as Steve picked up his desk with a choked sob and threw it against the wall so violently that the spy was surprised that it didn't break.

Steve then crumpled to the floor, a whimper wrangling its way out of his throat. The redhead watched as Steve picked up a fallen piece of paper and caressed it, holding it gently.

"Peggy," he whispered, tears falling down his cheeks.

And at that moment, Natasha realized she was intruding on something private. She knew she should go and attempt to comfort him- he is her captain after all. But that was not the way the Black Widow rolls.

So she turned around to slither back to her room.

But she couldn't help but look back.

* * *

_** A/N**_: Thank you, "Knead Me" for the prompt! Gurl, you be giving me good prompts! (: I'm officially inspired once again ~ therefore faster updates! Yippee! (:

Update for the next week: So, cutoffs for report cards is this Friday and therefore for this whole week, I'm going to be working my arse off so I can try for Honours this year. (: So at the least, I can say that my next update may be next Friday! (:

But I needeth your prompts, mes Amis! So keep em coming please and thanks-a-you!

Live long and prosper!

~ Jazzy


	39. Guard and Remember

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**trente-neuf.**

"Post and orders remain as directed."

"Orders acknowledged," Steve nods, saluting the guard. The relief commander and the guard he was trading places with shot him smiles as they stepped aside and departed.

Steve began walking his 21 steps across the tomb, holding his weapon across his shoulder opposite from the tomb. On his 21st step, he halted and faced the tomb for twenty one seconds. Then he turns to face the Avengers, his weapon slung opposite shoulder from the tomb.

The Avengers clapped as silently as they could muster.

"Now do you see why it was worth it to fly to Arlington?" Steve quietly inquired to Tony.

Tony smirked, but kept his voice down out of respect. "I have been enlightened, o dear captain jackass."

Natasha smacked the billionaire across the head. "It was nice of you to volunteer guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier, being Captain America and all."

Steve shook his head and smiled softly at Natasha, which she returned. "It's a great honour to serve my country as Captain Rogers than Captain America."

* * *

**A/N**: Prompt from the avengerskinkmeme on tumblr, you go glen coco!

Today I've decided to post one short chapter in accordance with Remembrance Day here in Canada. This chapter is for all the soldiers who had lost their lives for fighting for what we enjoy today. Therefore, I urge you to wear your poppies and be silent when 11:00 hits you for two minutes, wherever you may be. Be respectful and courteous to the ones who are brave enough to protect us.

Merci beaucoup, les soldats. Nous ne jamais pas oublir!

~ Jazzy

PS. All info in this chapter is all thanks to the Wikipedia article about America's tomb of the unknown soldier. Check it out!


	40. Letters

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**quarante.**

_Natasha, _

_Truth is I've been in love with you..._

_I wish I was the one to hold you..._

_I know it's wrong but I can't help how I feel..._

Clutching the pen in his hand, Steve drew lines over the words printed meticulously on the paper, tears blotting the ink. Sniffling, he pulled out a fresh piece of paper and began to write again.

_I'm happy for you._

* * *

**A/N**: Backstory- Natasha's getting married and Steve's a bit devastated.

This is more like a diary entry than a prompt and I apologize for that. It's just the past two days for me was literally the worst due to unrequited love and- I really just can't do anything but wallow and cope until Monday.

So except updates. Soon, I promise.

Yours,

J.


	41. Snowfall

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**quarante-et-un.**

_As soon as her eyes opened, Natasha knew something magical had happened._

Sitting up in bed, she scanned her room with bleary eyes, grimacing at the dirty laundry strewn amongst her floor. Suddenly, her eyes landed on her window and she immediately perked up, jumping out of bed to look at the spectacle unfolding in front of her eyes.

"It's snowing," she breathed happily, shrugging into her gold jacket. Taking no heed to her disheveled appearance, Natasha raced down the stairs and immediately headed out the front door. Zipping up her coat, she ran across the street to the nearest playground, giddily jumping onto the swing. The park was empty, save for the occasional stray dog, but Natasha felt a bubble of joy close around her as she swung up, the snowflakes gently landing themselves on her face.

"Y'know, most ladies of your age wouldn't get this excited over snow," a voice piped up behind Natasha.

Natasha's eyes widened. Without a moment's hesitation, she jumped off the swing and pinned the voice's owner to the ground, her hands pressed firmly against his neck.

"Nat-" the voice owner choked out and oh- oops. Natasha sheepishly removed herself from the person's person and stood up, gently holding out a hand for the boy.

"Steve," Natasha acknowledged sheepishly.

The blue-eyed boy blinked at the brunette, a sigh escaping his lips. "Natasha," he says again.

Natasha pulls her jacket hood over her head, suddenly self conscious of the mess her hair had become. "What's going on?"

Steve rolled his eyes. "Oh, nothing, just decided to sneak up on a friend and then fell into this white hell."

"White hell?" Natasha shot an eyebrow at the boy.

Steve shrugged. "I don't like snow."

For the second time that day, Natasha's eyes widened. "W-what? You hate snow? How can anyone-"

"-it's cold and satanic," Steve states brusquely, cutting off Natasha's attempt of a plea to his soul. "I mean, I spent seventy years in the ice- it's evident that I wouldn't be snow's biggest fan."

Natasha thought pensively for a moment, before she grabbed Steve's hand.

"We have to fix that."

~.~

And so, Natasha fixed it.

She took Steve the proper way to make a snow angel and embarked in a snowball fight with the boy. By noon, the pair was exhausted but happy all the same.

"Do you like snow now?" Natasha asked as the pair walked back to Natasha's house.

Steve eyed Natasha. "You can't expect me to like snow after an hour of 'educating me'. But I don't hate it that much anymore."

Natasha gave a self-satisfied smirk. "Good. Why don't we celebrate by getting s'mores pizza? It's on me."

Steve smiled. "Sure."

And so they skipped through the snow.


	42. RomComs and Popcorn

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**quarante-et-deux.**

"Just us tonight, hmm?"

Steve cast a distracted smile at the spy, pulling a bag of Orville Redenbacher's out of its box and popping it into the microwave. "Yeah, apparently Thor wanted to go spend the new year with Doctor Foster, Clint and Tony went out to prepare for their party and Bruce went out with Darcy to M&M World," he replied, looking quizzically at the microwave.

Natasha chuckled gently at the soldier's ministrations and paddled over to punch in the buttons. Steve shot a grateful nod at Natasha.

And that's when he really looked at her.

She was... the anti-Natasha. She was Natasha, of course, if those deadly emerald eyes were any indication. However, the oversized sweater depicting the Beatles and her pajama pants begged to differ- and were those Stompeez slippers? Steve smiled as he gazed at them, as the realization hit him- Natasha had felt comfortable enough to dress in a casual manner.

Noticing his stare, Natasha smirked and walked towards the large television, subtly swaying her hips. Steve immediately averted his eyes to the microwave timer.

45 seconds. _Grrrrreat._

(Shh- it's a secret but Steve finds it very attractive when Natasha dresses casually.)

"What movie do you wanna watch?" Natasha's voice piped up from the front of the room. Steve drew his eyes away from the microwave and peered at the redhead, who was eyeing Stark's collection of DVDs warily.

"Anything but action," he declared, wrinkling his nose. "I'm not quite fond of our recent selections."

"Romance it is," smirked Natasha, freeing The Notebook from its case.

The spy popped the DVD in the player while the microwave beeped, and Steve struggled to free the bag from its popping prison.

"Would you like it in a bowl?" inquired the captain once he had freed the popcorn.

"Bag, please," she replied and Steve shrugs, opening the bag and leaving the kitchen to sink beside Natasha on the couch.

Natasha immediately grabbed the popcorn out of Steve's grip and smiled as he protested weakly. She placed the bag in between them, reaching in to procure a handful of buttery popcorn.

"Save some for me," Steve whined, and Natasha almost had the urge to ruffle her fingers through his hair.

"Of course," Natasha snickers.

And then they both reached in at the same time.

Their fingers brush and Natasha freezes because- was that a spark? The spy's eyes immediately flick over to the soldier- his cheeks are tinged pink. A moment passes- One Mississippi, Two Mississippi- before Steve takes his hand out and stares everywhere but Natasha.

"Ladies first," he coughs.

Natasha obliged, procuring another handful of popcorn, being sure to swipe her hand along the side of the bag to acquire some butter. Steve immediately reached in the moment the spy was out, his meaty hands quick to take half the bag with one swipe of his hand.

"Dim the lights, please," Natasha mumbles in between bites of popcorn, and Jarvis did so, staying silent as the soldier and the spy watched the trailers go through the screen.

All was silent for a few moments, both avengers obviously still trying to get over the spark they both had evidently felt. Fearing that she may have scarred the soldier for life, she chose to speak first.

"You'd think that we're in an actual movie theatre," Natasha stage-whispered to Steve.

"Perks of being a Stark, I suppose," Steve replies and Natasha sighs with relief as she observes the Captain's rigid form relax.

The pair roll through the movie with the mindset of a movie critic, each whispering their analysis of scenes between bites of popcorn. But as soon as the bag disappeared and the butter was licked off by a very salty-craving Natasha, the pair descended into silence.

Suddenly, Natasha leaned her head against Steve's shoulder, gently curling up to his robust form. Surprised, Steve stiffened, but reluctantly placed an arm around her, fearing how she'd react.

"спасибо, Steve," she mumbled sleepily and immediately fell into a deep slumber.

As she did so, Steve observed her sleepily, a grin finding its way onto his face.

"You're so beautiful, Nat," he whispered, gently brushing her fiery red curls away to press a kiss on her forehead. He reached over and pulled a blanket from under the couch, gently placing it over both of their bodies. Casting Natasha one last loving look, he sighed dreamily and gave in to his own sleepiness, the promise of a great new year prominent in the depths of his mind.

_"They fell in love, didn't they?"_

_"Yes, they did."_

A/N: Prompt Credit- .98! (: Thank you! (:

& Happy New Year to you all! (: Ill be back tomorrow, no fret- I must post before 2012 ends! I hope this year was amazing for you and I wish the best for years to come!

& also Kidlets- have I ever told you how much I freaking love you? 174 reviews, 52 favorites and 75 follows. Words cannot truly expressed how much I love you all- I swear, it's because of all of you that I write at 2:16 am in the morning of New Year's Eve! So thank you very much, my darlings!


	43. Mistletoe

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

quarante-trois.

Natasha knew Steve has been attracted to her for some quite time.

It was so obvious, the way he portrayed it- the sly smiles, the longing looks, the way he would intentionally make his fingers brush against hers when they'd reach for the Lucky Charms at the breakfast table. He was something out of those coming-of-age romance films- the cliché movie where the guy pines for the girl and the girl doesn't notice until he does something extraordinarily ludicrous.

But note that Natasha Romanoff is not like most girls, thank you very much.

Considering her character, Natasha should find this puppy-pining attitude pathetic, and she would, on any other guy. However, on Steve, she… liked it. She's never experienced the daily trails of childhood and adolescence- for obvious reasons- so it was nice to acquire the notion of someone her age.

(She liked to think that her response to all this was flattery but her feelings went way deeper.)

~.~

"Hurry it up, hurry it up guys, c'mon! Guests are arriving soon and we need this tower to be Christmas-free! Go go go!"

Natasha scowled at the billionaire, who was drinking brandy from his post by the bar. "If you're such in a hurry, why don't you put that flask down and help us?"

"God helps those who helps themselves," Steve slyly poked in, wrapping a wreath around his neck as he stared at Natasha.

Natasha smirked back, walking over to take the wreath from around Steve's neck to throw it to Thor, who caught it with one hand and put it in a box.

"I do not understand why you not desire to partake in the holiday festivities, friend Stark!" Thor booms, as he tears apart the Christmas tree branch by branch.

"These are not festivities, Thor," Clint sighs, from his perch up high, trying to extract the star from the top of the tree before Thor could rip it off. "In Midgard, we call them chores."

Bruce chuckled. "This is much more fun than looking for gamma radiation cures, that's for sure."

As the ragtag team of heroes (sans Tony) cleaned up, the gazes of the Soldier and the Spy drew to each other once more. Noticing this, Natasha smiled and picked up a handful of red glitter from Thor's box and poured it on his head.

To which Steve immediately retaliated with green glitter.

Observing this, Bruce cast a look at his science brother.

"We should leave up the mistletoe for tonight, should we?" asked Bruce.

Tony nodded his assent and raised up his glass in agreement.

~.~

"You love me, don't you?"

Steve blushed, averting his eyes from the knowing redhead's. "Hmm?"

"I've been observing you," Natasha mumbled, putting her hand on his cheek. "Don't think I don't notice you looking from across the room."

"Sorry," he whispered.

"It's okay," Natasha whispered, and she led him under the mistletoe, conveniently left up by Bruce from earlier events.

And so they kissed.

"Happy new year, Natasha."

* * *

**A/N: **This isn't the last one for today... so hold put!


	44. New Year Regrets

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**quarante-quatre.**

"Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go."

She watched them dance with a small smile on her face.

Pepper's eyes seemingly burn deep into Tony's soul as they float around the dance floor. The CEO trips and the pair burst out laughing.

"You're so cute when you do that, you know?" chuckled Tony, pressing a kiss to Pepper's cheek.

Who thought Tony would ever land someone like Pepper Potts? she thought bemusedly as she watched them twirl once more.

"Hey, Nat?"

She whirled around to find Steve behind her, smiling cheekily. "Yeah?"

"Wanna dance?" he asks, half-hoping, half-pleading.

"Of course." she says, grabbing onto his arm.

The two heroes twirl around on the dance floor. She giggles shyly as his hand teases with the edge of her short black dress.

It's bliss for both of them.

"So..." she says, letting her guard down for one moment. "How'd the year go for you?"

"It went great," He still plays with her dress. She detects a faint blush coming onto his face. "My first year out of the ice, not as nerve-wracking as expected."

Natasha stayed silent.

Studying her quietly, Steve smiled softly. "What do you regret doing in 2012?"

Such a simple question, yet so complicated to ponder on.

Her emerald eyes meet his ocean blues and she smiles thinly. "Honestly, everything."

"Explain." he demands softly, reaching for her hand and grasping it firmly.

"Well, for one thing, I have this problem where I treat everyone like shit," she said, embarrassed. "And I've hurt everyone with it."

"We love you, Natasha. That's why we put up with you," he chuckled.

"And..." She took a deep breath and stared into those bright blue eyes. "I was a coward to not tell the person I love that I love them."

"Why don't you tell them now?" he inquired.

"I just did."

They stared into each other's eyes and suddenly, like magic, everything disappeared.

Sparks flew.

Natasha had never felt the benefit of feeling alone with someone in a crowded room.

Until now.

"Alright, alright. It's 11:59. Time to count down the New Year!"

"Why don't we go somewhere more private?" she yelled over the deafening cheers of the crowd.

He nodded in response.

As they left, she caught sight of Pepper and Tony kissing. She smiled mischievously, grasping tighter onto his arm.

You're not the only one getting a kiss tonight, Stark. Just wait and see.

"I'm letting the old Natasha go," she announced to her new significant other. "This Natasha's here to stay."

"I sure hope so," he said, before pulling her into a soft, yet passionate kiss.

* * *

**A/N: **I wrote this baby back in 2011 for Sonny With A Chance and thought to bring it back here for another chapter.


	45. Final Seconds

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

** quarante-cinq.**

_Ten._

_Nine._

_Eight._

_Seven._

Steve looked around the room vigorously, pushing past crowds of people in panic.

"First year out of the ice, not going to bring in the second year kissless," he mumbled.

He had to find her.

(Fiery red hair, emerald green eyes...)

_Six._

_Five._

_Four._

He collides with her at the last second.

"Found you," he breathes.

_Three._

Their eyes lock.

_Two_.

Natasha smiles a genuine full-toothed smile, looping her arms around Steve's neck. "Kiss me, you fool."

* * *

**A/N**: HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS! ... Well, it's practically 30 mins before 2013 where I am- 11:29 pm to be exact- but I guarantee the moment this shows up on the archive, it's gonna be 2013. So, happy new year and I wish you the best of luck for the months to come!

Happy trails, Kidlets! Here's to another year!

Signing off at 11:31 pm,

Jazzy(:


	46. Revelations

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**quarante-six.**

Roughly jamming the key into the keyhole, Natasha burst into her apartment, throwing her bag and all its contents on the floor. The redhead then slammed the door and locked it behind her, immediately running onto the couch.

Turning on the television to distract her neighbors, Natasha cradled her head between her hands as a few stray tears leaked out of her eyes.

How could she be so stupid?

What was she thinking, telling Stark- out of all the freaking people in the world- all those things? It was a guarantee that right after she left, Tony would be blabbing to Bruce and Steve about his newfound revelation and Natasha would be ruined. Steve would then piece all the pieces together and he'd realize-

(- everything and anything and oh my god I'm going to be ruined.)

Natasha sighed glumly, cursing her inability to distance herself from her fellow avengers. She had let herself be compromised; her secret- her oh so carefully guided secret- would be revealed, and everyone would know that Natasha Romanoff had feelings for Steven Rogers.

And oh my god, it scared her to death.

- knock knock.

Startled, Natasha bolted up from the couch and paddled lightly towards the door, praying that the noise of the television would cover her steps. Immediately grabbing onto the door handle, she stepped onto her tiptoes to glance into the peephole.

Steve.

And in that moment, Natasha knew Stark was a dead man.

"Nat," Steve called out softly. "I know you're in there."

Natasha held her breath.

_One Mississippi._

_Two Mississippi._

_Three Mississippi._

_Four Mississ-_

- "I know where you hide your extra key," Steve called out determinedly. "So if you don't open this door, I'm going to have to go in by force."

Weighing her options, Natasha sighed and scrambled up from her position against the door, ambling over to the couch. True to his word, Steve burst into the apartment, key in hand.

"Natasha," he whispered, at the sight of her figure on the couch.

(Con-fi-dence.)

Natasha mustered up her most sultry smile. "Shouldn't you be at work? Or did you just come to see me?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," he responded, giving the redhead a look. "I heard what you said to Stark."

Natasha's resolve crumbled, but she held firm. "What, that he's egotistical? I don't take that back."

"No," he said, plopping down onto the couch next to her. Natasha immediately looked away, but Steve kept his eyes trained on her.

"You said you were in love with me," he whispered.

(- oh no.)

Natasha's breath hitched in her throat. Eyes burning with tears, she slipped out her last attempt at redemption. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Silence.

Then,

"Yes, you do," Steve whispered.

Natasha stayed silent.

"It's why you've separated yourself from us, it's why you've been so mean to Clint, it's why you've been acting so weird," he said softly, tone implying his newly found epiphany. "You thought that if you were to act more like... Peggy did, it would attract me."

Natasha scoffed. "I don't know what you're talking about," she repeated more firmly. "That's ridiculous."

"If its ridiculous, then look me in the eyes and tell me so," Steve responded just as firmly.

(Act confident, be confident.)

Natasha obliged. Discreetly wiping her eyes on the edge of her turquoise blouse, she turned towards Steve and opened her mouth to save her dying heart.

- but she couldn't.

For when their eyes met, Nat could not muster up a single word.

With his beautiful ocean blue eyes looking into hers-

- she couldn't breathe.

"Is it really ridiculous?" Steve asks softly, peering into Natasha's teary emeralds.

"Why are you here?" Natasha asks, her eyes casting down once more in a rare act if vulnerability. Steve reaches out to caress her chin, keeping her eyes locked on his.

"Are you in love with me?" Steve questioned firmly.

Natasha yanked her chin out of his touch, cheeks blooming red with humiliation.

Silence.

_Inhale._

_Exhale._

_Inhale._

_Exha-_

"Yes," she whispered, so softly that Steve thought he was imagining it.

The redhead stood up, refusing to make eye contact with the pianist. "Yes, I am in love with you but what does it matter? You're the epitome of goodness, I'm the super bad Russian spy with a screwed up past. You'd never love a girl like me; I would never live up to your expectations."

Steve stared up at Natasha incredulously. Suddenly, he stood up and walked towards Natasha, determination flowing through his every step. Gently pulling the hand away from her mouth, he peered into Natasha's tear-stained eyes with a smile.

"Did it ever occur to you that I may just feel the same way?" He mumbled, before pressing his lips to hers.

* * *

**A/N**: Heyyyyy guys!

I'm sorry I haven't been updating quite lately; schoolwork and stress have taken my interest! Thus saying, this will be the last you'll see of me- until spring break! (Two weeks). Right now, I need to focus on getting excellent grades to get into the school I want and fanfic has to take a backseat to that until I acquire this goal. But fear not- Jazzy will be back soon!

Until spring break, my darlings!

~ Jazzy.

PS. THANK YOU FOR 200 REVIEWS & all your prompts! I will be sure to follow through with them during spring break!


	47. Player

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**quarante-sept.**

"Do you mind tying my bracelet for me?"

She's playing you.

You can feel it. The sly smiles, the saucy winks, the "accidental" instance of her bending down, lacy black underwear peeking out from above her jeans. The way she's so outwardly affectionate with you, the way she presses her lips against your cheek...

... The way she kisses Clint, all lips and tongue and rubbing and moaning...

The way he does it in front of you, as if showing off that he can have her and you can't.

(Truth be told, you've never hated a human being so immensely in all your years of life.)

But you acquiesce. You let it be. This... relationship (and you use this term loosely) goes against all your morals, but you don't care.

Because you love her.

And even if she's playing you, you know you always will.

You reach across the table to lightly finger the strings of yarn, casting the redhead a smile as you tie the strings of Clint's promise bracelet together.

"Anything for you, Tasha."

* * *

**A/N**: Um, so I lied.

Second update of the day, hey! Just because I love you kidlets so much! (:

& I really don't wanna open my science notes but whatever. Fanfiction for life!

& I wanted to run a fanfic idea by you guys, which I'm planning to publish in the summer. It's my first Tasha/Steve multi-chapter that follows a comprehensible thought and sticks to a timeline, and my tentative titles for it is "She Wants the PhD", or "The Scholarship". It's inspired by a tumblr post which asks the very question that makes me question my existence: "if you ship two professors, is it considered a scholarship"? Basically, it's a story where Steve, as a substitute gym teacher, falls for Natasha, the intimidating social teacher. However, I am unsure how to carry out plot lines. If you have a suggestion, feel free to PM me or review on Child's Play! & please tell me if this is a story that you'd be willing to read.

Again, thanks a dozen!

~ Jazzy.


	48. Kisses

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**quarante-huit.**

Natasha stayed still against Steve's lips, shocked. At the realization that his kiss was not a tears-induced hallucination, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, kissing him with all the fervor she could muster.

Steve smiled against the spy's lips and Natasha smiled back, a giggle rising from the depths of her throat. Being bold, the soldier poked his tongue lightly against the spy's lips and he let out a moan, immediately picking Natasha up by her bottom to carry her to the couch.

Natasha let out an aroused gasp as Steve gently placed her back down onto the couch and climbed on top of her hungrily, gently poking his tongue through Natasha's mouth to mold it with her own. The spy immediately wrapped her arms around Steve once more, molding their bodies together. Steve immediately flipped Nat over so that he was on the bottom, without detaching his lips from hers, running his calloused hands through her fiery red locks.

"Christ, Nat," Steve muttered in between kisses, to which the spy responded to with a bright smile.

The two separated for a moment to peer at each other lovingly, and Natasha sighed dreamily, resting her head on his chest.

_Forget Edward and Bella_, the spy thought dreamily. _This is more romantic than Paris on a rainy day. _

* * *

**A/N**: So I was about to go on hiatus (because school) until I had the realization that I haven't written an in depth make out scene yet.

But... I also have an ulterior motive! Child's Play has had the honour of being translated en francais! This is being done by "Chachaperon" under the French title "Jeu d'enfant"! So if you're French, or in the process of learning french, and want to know the story a little bit better, I recommend you check it out!

(Or, y'know, if you're just curious. Whichever works.)

I will begin fulfilling your prompts as soon as spring break for me starts! The next chapters will consist of: Natasha wearing Steve's shirt to breakfast, pictures sent to sleazy gossip magazines and...

You're going to have to wait.

(:

Bye!

~ Jazzy


	49. Of Elevators and Doors

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**quarante-neuf.**

"So..."

Natasha quirked a smile. "So..."

Steve awkwardly scratched the back of his neck with a blush and lightly pressed the button to the elevator of Stark Tower, averting his baby blues from Natasha's emeralds. "That was a fun... workout session."

"Seemed like you were enjoying it," Natasha flirted. "Especially the part where I almost choked you between my thighs."

Steve uncharacteristically reached out and cupped Natasha's cheek, peering at her with an expression that even Natasha herself could not comprehend. As if goaded on by a gravitational force, the pair simultaneously leaned in towards each other, their noses nuzzling. And with a sparkle in his eye, Steve took a risk and went in, brushing his lips against Natasha and -

"- um heyy," a voice chimed, and the pair quickly broke apart, much to the amusement of Tony Stark, who leaned against the open doors of the elevator in a smug manner. "I enjoy a good make out session as much as you two obviously do, but I'm kinda in a hurry to get to my own."

"No need to be so blunt about it," Natasha grunted bitterly, stepping into the elevator with Steve at her heels.

"I didn't even hear a ding," sighed Steve.

A smile ran its way onto Tony's face as he observed the red faced pair. "Training session, huh?"

"Shut up," Natasha hissed, pressing the buttons for her and Steve's individual floors.

Unwisely not taking heed to Natasha's warning, Tony blabbed on. "It seems like you two were getting a little bit kinky in there, by the looks of it. What do you think, Jarvis?"

"I feel it would not be wise to comment, sir," the AI responded amusedly. "We have arrived at your floor, Agent Romanoff."

"Thank you, Jarvis," Natasha says, stepping out of the elevator as soon as it opened. Tony's mouth opened in an attempt to garner Natasha's attention, but her eyes slid over to Steve's.

"See you later," he mouthed before the elevator doors closed.

As Natasha walked to her room, a wild thought arose in her mind. Impulsively acting upon it, she raced to the nearest stairwell and bounded up the steps two by two, hoping to arrive to Steve's floor before his elevator could.

Luckily, as she vigorously schlepped her way into his floor, the elevator doors had just closed behind the captain, who was now fumbling for the keys. With no consideration for how this particular action could consequently lead to consequences, Natasha immediately rushed towards him and fervently placed her lips on his, pushing him against his door.

"N-Nat?" Steve gasped once their lips broke.

"This is what you get for being so damn sexy," Natasha growled, before kicking down the door and pushing Steve through it, their lips still fervently attached.

Surely Tony could buy a new door.

* * *

A/N: So I finally watched The Nanny Diaries.

& ohmygosh it was perfff. Like, girl. Scarlett and Chris, as per usual, were pure perfection, and there were so many Romanogers moments that made me squeal. It was like a Avengers AU and I loved every single moment of it.

Anyways guys, just wanted to apologize. It's spring break where I am now and I'm not really motivated because homework and relaxation is taking up my time. But fear not- for the next three nights I will be updating as much as I can before I go back on Tuesday. So hang tight!

Prompt fulfillment will be soon, my lovelies.

- Jazzy(:


	50. Dreams

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**cinquante.**

Curled up under polka dotted sheets with Clint's arms wrapped around her lithe figure and blankets that seldom block out the strenuous noises of the New York skyline, Natasha dreams of the future.

In her dreams they've cut off all ties from SHIELD and live in a small town far, far away, where no alien or assassin would ever think of going. They'd live in a quaint little house surrounded by a white picket fence (which Natasha would paint black, of course- white was the colour of purity and she was anything but), and in her dreams she would be happy to observe the birds and the bees as they skittered around the garden she would've spent ages after ages catering to, drinking from her coffee she had delicately made at the touch of a button. It's a small house, which is unexpected for superheroes like them, but it's comfortable and warm and nice and feels more like home than anything, even Stark Tower, ever has.

As regimens have been built into her at the quiet little age of twelve, Natasha would always get up at six am, and by default Steve would rouse out of his slumber immediately after the (ex-) spy would rise to join Natasha at the table for morning coffee. It's usually silent, but the silence holds magnitude as Steve gently nuzzles Natasha's neck as she drinks, reveling in the fact that she won't recoil at his touch. It has become a daily reoccurrence; an annoyance, perhaps, but sometimes Natasha reciprocates the action, basking in the notion that she's safe; she will not be hurt no more.

Once the midpoint of the day hits, they're off to celebrate their passions. Natasha imagines Steve as an artist, of course, and she a ballerina; they've always been suckers for the arts. As their morning routine of coffee and nuzzling comes to a close, the pair would walk to the local arts centre across the street to practice their crafts. Natasha would go to the auditorium to sharpen her already stunning ballet steps for her many auditions for the town's ballet shows and Steve would go to the art room and teach some young aspiring kidlets who desired to be as talented as he was. But sometimes, Steve opts to duck out of his classes to watch his Natasha prance across the stage in her black tutu, a smile crossing his face as he slowly and intimately sketched every contour and curve of her body as she danced on.

But should Natasha pick a time of day that she would wholeheartedly desire to live over and over, it would be the night. Sometimes, she would have a show as a ballerina or Steve would have a banquet for a recent painting he painted, but more times than often, they were left to their own devices. Those nights consisted of exploring the town that had become their safe haven- the convenience store that they would always buy their grape-flavored slurpees from, the little candy shop on the hilltop and the hidden treehouse in their neighbor's backyard. However, there was always one place the pair always revisited, always looked at as new even though they had been there many times before- the town's playground. Stationed in the front of the town's only elementary school, the (ex-) soldier and spy would giddily climb upon the equipment with the excitement akin to a three year old's. They'd always end their 'playdate' (as they would all it) on the swings, using their superhero skills to pump themselves up, up, up into the sky, shooting for the stars. Steve would always get off the swings first so he could catch Natasha as she jumped, and as if prodded by the moonlight above, their eyes would be drawn to each other, and enchanted, Steve would brush Natasha's hair behind her ear and gently move in to kiss her with all the fervor he could muster. And as the dream ends, Natasha could not help but feel any happier.

But then, opening her eyes and coming face to face with a pair of stormy grey eyes instead of a baby blue, the pained feeling in her chest made her wish of nightmares instead.

* * *

A/N: ... Or we could just pretend that last sentence didn't exist. (;

So this, my dearies, is my 50th chapter! And as of the publishing of this 50th chapter (03/30/13), I have hit 218 reviews, 58 favorites and 94 follows! So I would like to take a moment to thank all of you for this; you guys make my heart feel super happy!

Honestly though, I'm quite proud of this chapter and that leaves me to wonder- would you guys love to see this in a multi-chapter piece where all of this is legit? Subtract the whole dream sequence thing, of course- Romanogers NEEDS a happy ending. (; I'll probably start this in the summer, so leave a review if you would read this fic or not!

Again, guys. Thank you for everything. (: More updates will be coming towards you TONIGHT and tomorrow because I love you guys too much.

- Jazzy(:


	51. The Aftermath

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**cinquante-et-un.**

(Aftermath of 'A Song For Steve')

"Nat."

Knocks penetrated her door but the spy wasn't too keen on answering. She took a hold of her cries, flinging a blanket over her head, pretending she was asleep in order to wane away her impending visitor.

It's a shame Clint knew her too well.

The door flung open and Natasha pulled down the blanket to find Clint, lock picking kit in his hands.

"Well, that's great," Natasha groans as Clint closes the door and stalks towards her. "I'm going to have to increase the security."

"Nat," Clint sits down on the bed next to her. "What happened up there?"

Natasha stayed silent, pulling the blanket up over her head again, but Clint pulled it back down.

Concerned grey looked into exhausted emeralds, and Natasha sighs.

"Him," she whispers.

"Him?" Clint repeats, raising an eyebrow.

"Steve," Natasha whispers miserably. "He's just-"

"-you're in love with him, aren't you?" Clint interrupts.

"Love is for children," she says.

Clint rolls his eyes. "I owe him a debt- yadda yadda yadda. Tasha, tell me the truth for one. I won't bite. You trust me, don't you?"

Silence.

Then, "yes."

Clint smiles. "Yes for what? For trusting me or being in love with Steve?"

"I trust you," she responds.

"But what about being in love with Steve?"

Natasha stayed silent, but Clint already knew the answer.

"You should talk to him," he says, running a hand through her hair.

"I don't think that's necessary," Natasha responds.

"I do," a voice chimes in from the door and Natasha sighs, pulling the blanket over her head.

"Steve," Clint says, confirming Natasha's fears. "Nice to see you down here."

"Likewise, Hawkeye," Steve replies wittily, although there was a note of concern and desperation in his voice. "Do you mind if I have a moment with Nat?"

"Of course," Clint says, and Natasha feels his bulk leaving her bed and hears his footsteps going out the door.

"Nat," Steve says as soon as the door closes behind the archer.

The redhead doesn't respond.

Steve sighs and sits next to Natasha's covered form on her bed. "Would you mind telling me what's going on, Tasha?"

When Natasha doesn't respond, Steve takes a different approach. "I liked your song."

Natasha pulls the blankets away from her head, exposing her red puffy eyes to the super soldier. "Really?" she asked softly.

"Really," Steve replied, pressing a soft kiss to her head. Caressing Natasha's reddened cheek, he rummaged under her bed to find her practice ukulele and handed it to her.

"Play me the song again," Steve demanded. "I want to hear your beautiful voice once more."

* * *

A/N: It's Easter! (:

Well, officially. HIDE YO EGGS. Aha! It's 1:50 am where I am and I'm very giddy at the concept of finding eggs hidden around my house! (: Expect an update attack tomorrow night! (:

Love you all & have a happy Easter.

-Jazzy(:


	52. Dancing and Sketching

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**cinquante-deux.**

There's something enchanting about watching her dance on stage.

Maybe it's the the way the lights hit her lithe figure or the way her black tutu contrasts with the pink of her fellow compadres, but Steve was enthralled by the scene playing out in front of him.

Natasha was so graceful; in fact,

with every pirouette and pique she executed, Steve could almost see the gentle glide of a painter's brush flowing over a canvas, painting out a story for the world to see. It was so marvelously beautiful that Steve wanted to jump up and start a standing ovation and yell out her name, giving Natasha the praise he knew she deserved.

But he restrained; it was a closed rehearsal for her show later on, and the fact that he managed to sneak through Stark-enhanced security and the Black Widow herself was enough to boggle his already boggled mind.

Besides, he didn't just go there to watch her dance.

Pulling out his sketchbook and his various collections of pencil crayons, Steve quietly flipped to an empty page as Natasha readied herself to repeat the choreography.

Once the first notes of a melodic melody chimed through the speakers, Steve began to draw. As his eyes eagerly watched Natasha's breath taking performance, his pencil would move, tracing every contour and curve on her body. At the times where Natasha gracefully execute a jump, Steve would quickly run a red pencil through the paper to signify the fieriness of her hair, hand clenched tightly around the pencil in awe and anticipation at her next step.

And all too soon it was over and Steve couldn't help himself for he began to applaud, his baby blues wide in awe. He stood up to intensify the noise, letting the drawing slide off his lap as he gave Natasha the praise she deserved.

Big mistake.

"Hey," a loud foreboding voice reminiscent of Thor's piped from the stage, causing Steve to pause mid clap. "Who is that?"

Immediately, at sight of Natasha squinting her eyes to try and see out at the empty theatre, Steve crouched down and quietly gathered all his pencils and tucked the sketchbook into his knapsack. Without lingering for another second, he bolted for his life.

~.~

"Hey, Natalie?"

Natasha raised an eyebrow at her fellow dancer, who was obviously trying to hide her fear. "Yes, Amelia?"

"Um," Amelia responded timidly. "The director was looking through the theatre for the theatre stowaway earlier, and he found this," she said, holding out a sheet of paper for the redhead.

Natasha took the paper from the girl and immediately gasped at the sight of it.

It was a picture.. Of her.

Surrounded by faceless figures dancing in a pyramid, Natasha stood tall in first position, her green eyes full of passion and expression. Natasha gaped as she saw how intricately drawn the figures were; the way everything evoked emotion from the body language to the way confidence radiated off her figure.

There was only one person that she knew could pull this off.

* * *

A/N: And that, my kidlets, was a wrap.

One chapter tonight; it's 1:52 am and I desperately need my zzs. Tomorrow, I will post one (or a few more) chapter(s), I promise.

Sleep tight y'all. Happy Easter!

-Jazzy(:

**PS. **Natasha is being referred to as Natalie because she auditioned for this show in her alter ego. Tony has been supporting it, and therefore funds the show- explaining the "stark-enhanced security".


	53. Announcements

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

_"Love is for children," she says. _

_"It doesn't have to be," he responds._

* * *

**cinquante-trois.**

"Buckle up your seatbelts, children, I have an announcement!"

Multiple eyebrows around the table were raised at Tony's rare enthusiasm as an aura of wariness spread throughout the group.

"Stark," said Natasha, unfazed (but a little confused) by the billionaire's antics. "Cut the energetic puppy act, please."

"What energetic puppy act?" Tony gawked at the redhead, who was too busy buttering her breakfast pancakes with her favorite knife to notice. "I'm actually legitimately excited to share this piece of information with you and maybe you Ms. Rushman, should-"

"- the point, man," Clint waved his hands in a rapid motion as he poured a multitude of syrup onto his pancakes. "Please."

Casting a bright, Thor-esque smile that even caught Thor off guard, Tony began to jump up and down like a little child. "We're going to made into a movie!"

"WHAT?!" cried the remaining five avengers in a mixture of excitement, shock and outrage.

"Oh gosh, how would my ass look in 3D?" Clint babbled excitedly. "Cap, you're my ass buddy, how awesome do you think we'd look?"

Steve, who clearly was about to say something against Tony, slowly closed his mouth as a blush spread across his cheeks, much to the amusement of his teammates.

"What is this 3D?" Thor asked, a confused expression overtaking his senses.

No one bothered to respond as they all averted their attention to Bruce, whose skin was beginning to take on a greenish hue.

"I didn't sign up for this," Bruce breathed, trying to calm himself down. "I don't want to have my life story portrayed on a theatre screen."

"I agree," Steve chimed in quietly before Tony could get a word in edgewise. "It's an invasion of privacy."

"Oh please," Tony scoffed. "It's not like you will be playing yourself in the film! It's basically a documentary! About us! Getting a crapload of recognition!"

"Life isn't always about recognition," Steve said, stirring his coffee. "It's about enjoying the little gifts the world provides you with."

"Deep," Tony mocked, causing Natasha to send a warning look towards his person. "But this recognition could also act as a warning base towards any other bastard that would try and infiltrate our world. And doesn't that mean something?"

The Avengers shared looks.

"I-I suppose it does," stuttered Bruce.

"Okay coolios, just need a deal of approval from the Cap and we're all set to go," Tony tsked.

"Guys?" Steve questioned his team mates.

All nodded their assent, albeit reluctantly.

"Awesome possum," Tony smiled. "Jarv, be a dear and show them their portrayers."

Six holographic images appeared on the breakfast table and each avenger's eyes diverted towards their counterpart. Natasha's eyes scanned the name of her portrayer and her eyebrows scrunched up nonchalantly. _Scarlett Johansson_. She reminded herself to perform a background check on the actress once she was finished her breakfast.

Suddenly, her eyes were drawn to the actor that would be portraying Steve and her mouth immediately dropped open at the sight of him. From what she could derive from the photos, the actor looked exactly like Steve- the rugged muscles, the light baby blues, the tousled hair, the way he gave off innocence by the way he presented himself - it was all there. Natasha liked her lips and peered at the name underneath the hologram's form.

_Chris Evans_, it read.

"Chris Evans," Natasha mouthed, and immediately put the name into her mind.

She had a feeling that the name would bring her good things.

* * *

A/N: Ello dearies!

First and foremost, that little blurb up there is part one of a half. I just could not finish it because spring break is over and I need to wake up for school in 5 hours. So I need to get my zzs. But I had to post because of the reason below.

This may be the last chapter you will be seeing in a while for April will be a busy month for me at school. I have a French diploma exam I need to prep for since it is coming quite rapidly and I'm really desiring to pass it. The next few weeks will be all French for me as the test is up on the 25th and the oral exam part is the week after that so I'm going to have to neglect you guys for a while :(

I love you guys though, so right after the whole stress of DELF is done, you can count on an update attack! I promise you. (: In fact, I can pinpoint an exact date that I will put forth these updates: May 4, 5 & 6. Like the summer when I used to post like 5 chapters a day! I PROMISE all the prompts that you have sent in will be fulfilled on these dates.

(But you never know... I might have some free time between now and May 4, but no guarantees.)

Adieu for now, my friends! It's a long hiatus but I hope this will be enough to last you through a month!

Much love!

- Jazzy(:


	54. Nameless Story Preview --

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

**Cinquante-quatre.**

_We are pleased to advise Mr. Steven Rogers of his admittance to New York's School of Visual Arts starting September 2013._

All his life he's been belittled and teased to a great extent. He's been ridiculed for many years because of his artistic abilities and it had become such a spectacle that he contemplated to stop pursuing it altogether.

But now, sitting here in the midst of Central Park, Steve is grateful he didn't.

Oh, sweet, beautiful New York – how glad he is to finally be roaming around in the concrete jungle! The city of his dreams, the passion of his life – there wasn't a doubt in his mind that life could not get any better than it was at that moment.

Steve breathed happily, clutching his admission to the School of Visual Arts with the affection usually reserved for a teddy bear. How nice it felt, he mused, to be drawing on his own time – that luxury was never afforded to him back in the suburbs of Massachusetts. With his sketchbook and pencil in his lap, an unfinished sketch of the skyline and the wind blowing through his hair, he had never felt so at peace in his life.

Shading in the last of the Empire State Building, Steve began to pack his belongings in his tote bag (sans sketchbook and pencil, of course) as a longing for caffeine engulfed his body from head to toe. He headed out of the park towards the closest Starbucks, colouring in the remaining buildings. Tilting his head to the side, he paused for a moment, holding up his sketch in comparison to the legitimate skyline. A smile began to form broadly on his face, a feeling of elation arising and overtaking his senses, a smug sense of –

_Wham!_

Shook out of his thoughts, Steve confusedly lolled his head from one side to another, kerfuffled at the momentary change in events. Seeing a woman hurriedly collecting her belongings at his feet, Steve acted on his instincts and reached down to help the woman.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he apologized sheepishly, helping her pick up her items.

"It's alright," she responded, and the voice had such a melodic tone to it that Steve's head snapped up in interest.

_Wow._

Steve's mouth dropped open as he observed the girl, taking in the way the light shone on her fiery red hair in awe. Her eyes snapped up to meet his and suddenly, Steve felt something magical coursing through him.

And in that moment, Steve knew he was infatuated.

* * *

A/N: I'm in computer class and because I hate everyone in this room and have abso-fucking-lutely nothing to do, I decided to update.

sorry guys I know I said that I would update May 4-6 but things came up and I had to tend to those things ! I will be sure to update A LOT this weekend ; my language arts "SAT" is coming up an I need practice in the whole formatting and story thing. So hold tight.

I love you, thank you for being there when no one else ever is.

- Jazzy (:

PS. This is a preview to a story that I am planning to write over the summer. This is the first chapter of it ... It's tentative but I hope it works! I have trouble coming up with a title for it ... Please help!


	55. Daydreams

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

**cinquante-cinq.**

Sometimes, when she's badly bruised and can afford to lose focus for a moment, Natasha daydreams.  
It isn't one of those daydreams anyone would expect from the Black Widow - it is quite the contrary in fact. When she's away in la la land, she dreams about a future.

A future of love.

Now, let it be known that this is the Natasha Romanoff - the ruthless and deathly woman who coined the infamous love is for children. Love, she preached, is something ludicrous; something absoutely pointless and unuseful. She believed it to be the eye of deceit, the source of children's cries.

But everytime she would look at him, her world would be turned upside down.

Her breath would hitch, her posture would falter. Butterflies would flutter rapidly within her stomach - so fast that it would leave her breathless. He would flash those bright baby blues and ohmygod when he shoots that smile -

All of her claims and distaste towards love would fly out the window.

But she is Natasha Romanoff after all - she can only afford to love him in her daydreams.

* * *

**A/N**: MY WRITING PAT IS COMING UP ON MONDAY AND I NEED TO GET MY CREATVE JUICES FLOWING.  
EXPECT UPDATES THIS WEEKEND. A LOT OF THEM.

& PLS GIVE ME FEEDBACK ON THIS ONE. TBH I THOUGHT IT WAS WEAK BUT EJWFHUEFGREYKJ I NEED HELP WITH CREATIVITY


	56. Broken Guns

Child's Play

**Summary**: Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**A/N**: This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters_**.

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

**_Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing_**.

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer**: As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

* * *

**cinquante-six.**

"Well, colour me confused," Tony drawls, smirking. "I didn't think _you_ would be the first to toy with the spider's web."

"Shut _up, _Stark," hisses Steve, frantically trying to piece back together something entirely precious to the Avengers: Natasha's _favourite _gun. "I came down here so you could help me, not mock me."

"How did this even happen anyway?" laughs Tony, prying the broken trigger off the table and inspecting it.

Steve shrugs sheepishly. "Well..."

~.~

_"Psst... Cap!"_

_Starltled, Steve dropped his sketchbook and pencil at the foot of his bed and looked up to see Hawkeye hanging precariously by his feet from the vents. "Clint?"_

_"That's the name," he called, and immediately dropped down on Steve's bed. He then held out an object for the Captain to observe and giddily bounced up and down, glee peeking on each corner of his face. "And this is the game."_

_Steve squinted at the object, trying to decipher what it was. At sight of a spider carved into the handle of said object, the captain recoiled and visibly skittered back, realizing what got Clint so excited._

_"Cool, right?" Clint babbles, stroking his fingers over the metallic surface of the Black Widow's most beloved weapon. "I was in the gym and I accidentally shot my arrow into a wooden plank and I found Nat's weapons stash behind it when it collapsed!" _

_"Do you have a death wish?" questioned Steve, befuddled by his comrade's enthusiasm. "I haven't known Natasha long, but I know for a fact that she will throw you into the hands of death for this. Not to mention that this was a complete invasion of her privacy."_

_"Yeah, yeah," Clint intoned, rolling his eyes. "But you have to admit that this is cool."_

_"It would be if you asked her," Steve replied, got off his bed and held out his hands for Clint to place the gun in. "Now give it to me so I could put it back in the gym."_

_"The plank hiding her stash is blown apart anyway," Clint whined, holding the gun to his chest with the affection usually reserved for a teddy bear. _

_"Natasha doesn't get back from her mission until tomorrow," trilled Steve. "Tony is an architetural genius - surely he could fix it before then."_

_"But it would be too late," said Clint, pointing to the red, white and blue alarm clock sitting atop Steve's bedside table. "It's not like Stark can call up some construction crew at one am in the morning."_

_Steve stared at the archer, arching a disbelieving eyebrow. "Do you even listen to yourself talk?"_

_The pair exchanged a heated glance, willing the other to blink first. Baby blue burned into grey, and Clint held his stature for a moment before he faltered._

_"Fine, take the gun, damn it," Clint pouted, reluctantly passing the gun to the captain._

_"Thank you," Steve replied and began to walk towards the door. _

_"Gah, if only you weren't in love with Tasha," Clint grumbled. "You were so much more fun when you didn't take fighting for her honor to an extreme."_

_Steve's eyes widened at his teammate's mumbles and freezed in his steps, the gun now heavy in his hands. "I-I don't like her that way."_

_"Sure, you don't," Clint replied, and Steve could hear the smirk in his voice. "Tell me, what if I had stolen Stark's armour, hmm? Would you demand it back like you did for Tasha?"_

_Steve stood pensively for a moment; Clint did bring up a good point. "Well..."_

_"See!" Clint exclaimed, the earlier giddiness returning to his voice. "You do love her."_

_"Alright, topic over," Steve sighed, turning his back away from the door to scold Cint. "I do not have feelings for her and you can't insist-"_

_- SWOOSH!_

_A cry escaped the Captain's lips as he toppled over, smashing the gun onto the hardwood floor of his bedroom. The gun shattered on impact, magazines and parts flying dramatically apart. Steve groaned as Clint hopped over to lend a hand for the captain, kicking away the paintbrushes he had tripped over._

_"Well, fuck," Clint breathed, symphathy and wariness overcoming his features. "Looks like we're in deep shit."_

_"Correction," hissed Steve. "You're in deep... feces."_

_Clint snorted at his Captain's wording. "You break it, you buy it!"_

_Steve sighed. "I'll go see if Tony can fix it."_

~.~

"Aweh," Tony gushes, placing a hand to his heart mockingly. "You really think I'm an architectural genius?"

"Not the point," Steve sighs. "Can you fix it or what?"

"Sure, sure," Tony smirks. "I'm going to have to make a little modifications to ensure it doesn't shatter like a china doll the next time a certain super soldier handles it."

"I suggest to prepare a notice for Agent Romaoff, Captain," JARVIS announces, startling both engineer and soldier. "She appears to be the type that appreciates honesty."

"Great idea, Jarv!" exclaims Tony, peering up lovingly at the ceiling. "I'd get started on that, Rogers."

Steve nodded his understanding and began to head upstairs to his floor.

As soon as his footsteps faded away, Tony curiously scanned the pieces of the gun.

"Well," Tony snorts. "Time to get to work. Jarv, be a dear and prepare me a cup of coffee."

"Will do, sir," the AI replies.

~.~

"Welcome back, Agent Romanoff."

Natasha lets a smile curl at her lips, turning around to face a sheepish Steve at her door. "Oh, hey Cap! Did you need to tell me something?" she asks, gesturing to her empty gun holster.

With one look at her smug face, Steve deflated. "How did you know?"

"Clint was acting all weird today," Natasha notes, throwing a pile of lingerie towards her laundry hamper. Steve tries his best to keep his eyes off the flying throng of lace, his cheeks reddening. "I got it out of him eventually and almost killed him."

"Glad you didn't," Steve chuckles nervously. "But, I do have something for you," he adds, pulling something from behind his back and holding it out to her.

"Qu'est-ce que c'est?" Natasha asks, eyes brightening at sight of the black box. She takes it and strokes her fingers over the delicately-tied red bow.

"Open it," he demands, nervously scratching the back of his neck.

Meticulously untying the ribbon in an attempt to salvage Steve's handiwork, Natasha opened the box to come face to face with a new gun and an inticately decorated letter.

After reading the note, Natasha's smile broadened and she immediately looped her arms around Steve's neck. "Thank you, дорогой. This is the sweetest thing anyone can ever do for me."

"You're welcome, Nat," Steve replies, gently returning her embrace.

The pair stood entwined for a moment.

Gracefully pulling away, Natasha carefully placed the box down beside her bedside table and took out her new Stark-enhanced gun. Linking her arm into Steve's, she pulled him out her door and locked them out of it.

"Let's go try out my new gun, shall we?"

Steve smiles. "We shall."

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**A/N**: PAT is in twelve hours; updates galore tonight!

As well, I request that y'all go and check out my new story entitled "Chasing the Night"! It is a Steve/Natasha AU and it is set in NYC! Please do not favourite or follow without leaving a review!

And I would also like to thank Avamys for leaving me a critical review - it's people like you that help me improve as a writer. Thank you very much! (: I really appreciate it!

There's a lot more coming tonight as the PAT draws near. Stay put, my friends! It may be 9:13 pm where I am but the party's only just begun.

Alrighty, see you in a few!

- Jazzy (:

PS. Coming up next is my prep for the business letter that I will have to write tomorrow. It will be up in an hour, and followed by that will be a response to a practice positive/negative prompt in a narrative format that I anticipate will be given to me tomorrow.


	57. A Fight's Consequence

Child's Play

**Summary: **Or, how Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff fell in love.

**_I need some prompts! Lack of prompts may prompt me to go on a hiatus for lack of ideas and sometimes, chapters may seem repetitive. So please please give me prompts!_**

**A/N: **This will be a collection of drabbles, because curse my writer's block- I can't stick to one story without starting another one. So this is just drabbles & thank god I've stumbled upon 'The Nanny Diaries' or else I wouldn't be fangirling this hard.

**_There is no timeline to these chapters. _**

No beta & all mistakes are mine.

Please review- & I hope you enjoy.

_**Reviews keep me going. If you're liking the story, please review! I need to know if this story is worth continuing.**_

I never do disclaimers because I trust people are smart enough to decipher who owns what, but for safety measures...

**Disclaimer: **As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, I, passionately happy, do not own any recognizable parties used in this fanfiction.

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**cinquante-sept.**

_Knock knock._

Nostalgia washed over the drummer as she took note of the bright

red, white and blue his door was painted, the timid rap of her knuckles against the door feeling like a second nature. Natasha anxiously tapped her toes as she waited, her heart a-thudding as she waited for Steve to open the door.

But... What if he didn't open the door?

"Steve," Natasha cried, allowing herself a moment of weakness. "Hear me out."

She paused for a moment, listening closely with her ear to the door, only to be met with the solitude of silence.

"You know I didn't mean what I said..." Natasha continued, sinking down to the floor. "You know that I've gotten over Clint ages ago, that I love you. It's always been you, my captain."

Silence.

Natasha began to sniffle, a tear lightly coming down her cheek. "You're the only man who truly understands me; I love you. It's always been you, it's always been you. Please, hear me out..."

And with that, she pressed her face on the door and began to cry helplessly, letting her weakness get the better of her.

But little did she know there was a super soldier on the other side, crying tears of his own.

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A/N: My Victoria Day gift to you - a little angst! (: I hope you Canadians are having a nice long weekend. (:

& please check out my Steve/Natasha AU entitled Chasing the Night! (:


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